E-Rank or SSS-Rank: I Awakened a Skill That Shouldn't Exist-Chapter 330: The Trial Start

Chapter 329

Han left the portal immediately.

There was nothing left for him to do there.

One could say the amount of CP and EP he had farmed was decent compared to most red portals, but it was nothing worth getting excited about. None of the bosses or threats he had faced were important enough to grant special rewards.

He sighed softly.

The real trouble was still ahead.

Han’s gaze shifted toward a spot deep within the large Forest. Hours earlier, there had been two red portals there. He had chosen to clear one first before facing the second.

He had deliberately restrained himself from using his clone skill. It was far too draining, especially since several clones were already active elsewhere, clearing other portals.

But something was wrong.

The second red portal was gone.

Cleared.

Someone else had taken care of it.

Residual red lightning still lingered faintly in the air, and that alone told Han who it was.

One of the mysterious heroes who had surfaced months ago.

A man whose hero name said everything people needed to know.

Red Lightning.

Han had never met him personally. To be honest, he had never been interested enough to bother. The only thing he was certain of was that the man was a high ranker. Likely one of the strongest S ranks who had never registered with the Hero Association.

Han shook his head.

Why was he delaying?

He already knew the answer.

The upcoming trial was tedious. Worse, it was something he genuinely did not look forward to. If it were anyone else, he would have sent a clone in his place without hesitation.

But this was different.

Ronan.

Han smiled faintly.

He would be there. No matter what.

He would make sure Ronan passed the trial without anything going wrong.

At least, that was the plan.

Han took a step forward and vanished, activating his teleportation skill.

Two hours later, he appeared atop a massive structure.

Looking down, he could clearly see the crowd below. Many familiar faces. Well known figures. Respected heroes from various factions.

He glanced back at the structure beneath his feet.

It was enormous. One of the largest ever built. Reinforced with high end materials that made full scale firepower useless against it.

At the very top, bold letters were carved into the structure.

TRIAL COURT.

Han vanished again and reappeared beside two familiar figures.

"Oh man, this place is huge," a blond haired youth said with a warm smile. "To think I wouldn’t be the one on trial here but just coming to look. Who would have thought?"

Despite the smile, there was a dangerous glint in his eyes.

"Aiden," a young woman beside him said flatly.

She wore an elegant dark gown with soft white fur draped over her shoulders. Her pink eyes flashed with irritation as she looked at her partner.

"You do know this isn’t a joking matter, right?"

Her tone made it clear she was only barely restraining herself from smacking him.

Aiden forced a sheepish grin and patted her back.

"Hey, Clara, cheer up. It’s not like we’re here to watch Ronan get executed or anything. No need to panic."

Aiden suddenly took a step back.

For just a moment, Clara’s pink eyes had practically turned red.

"What are you two even talking about?" a calm, familiar voice said.

Both of them froze.

Clara was the first to turn around, staring at the figure who had appeared out of thin air.

"Why are you late?" she asked, her voice laced with irritation.

"Am I?" Han replied with a slight smile. "You can’t really blame me. It’s not like there’s a clock in the monster plane for me to check the time."

Han was right.

There was no way to tell time there.

Though in truth, with his perception and hundreds of clones spread across the world, Han knew exactly what time it was.

Clara shook her head, swallowing the wave of insults threatening to spill out. She had to keep up appearances.

She rubbed her temples.

Suddenly, she was rubbing her head as well.

"Hey Clara, are you having headache?" Aiden asked quickly. He felt like acting caring now might reduce the cold shoulder she would definitely give him later.

"Tch. Shut the crap, moron," Clara snapped. "I’m having a headache because I’m surrounded by fools anyway."

Han whistled, pretending he hadn’t heard that.

"About what you guys were saying earlier," Han said, his tone calm, relaxed, with something cold buried underneath. "Aiden, you’re wrong about this trial not being an execution."

His gaze shifted toward the Trial Court.

"Ronan’s trial won’t be a small matter. People from all over the world are here. The crimes Ronan is charged with aren’t minor, so the sentence he might receive isn’t something we can predict."

Aiden stiffened.

"But," Han continued, "you’re right about one thing."

He turned back to them, smiling.

"We are not going to watch Ronan get executed. That is not happening."

His smile widened just enough to make Clara uneasy.

"We’ll do everything in our power to bring the truth to light and help him regain his freedom."

Inside, Han added silently.

And if that doesn’t work, we’ll take him out by force.

"Hey, Han."

A pleasant voice reached his ears. Calm. Soothing. The kind that naturally put people at ease.

Han turned and was mildly surprised to see Light Runner standing there.

The hero looked the same as always. Golden white hair flowing freely, smile warm enough to set people laughing without realizing why. But his eyes were different this time. The usual mischief was gone, replaced by something serious.

Han bowed slightly in respect.

Light Runner nodded in return.

"Can I talk to you for a moment?" he asked.

Han wasn’t surprised. He nodded again, and the two of them moved to a quieter area.

Aiden watched them leave, eyes gleaming.

"Hey, where do you think those two are going?" he asked. "And what do you think he wants to talk to Han about?"

"Go ask them yourself," Clara replied without looking up. "Don’t bother me with your rambling."

She was focused on her digital device. After a moment, she sighed, finally finding the files she was looking for.

"There’s no clean evidence to completely prove Ronan’s innocence," she said. "But combined with everything else we managed to scavenge, it should be enough to convince most people here today."

Even as she said it, her voice carried unease.

They all knew the trial wouldn’t be easy.

Not even close.

"Speaking of Ronan," Aiden said, curiosity creeping in. "Do you know where he’s being held right now?"

Clara shrugged. "I don’t know. But , I don’t think we should be worried about Ronan if anything his captors should be the ones worried."

Aiden nodded.

This was Ronan they were talking about.

Why should anyone fear for him?

Elsewhere.

Far from the Trial Court, in an enclosed facility surrounded by endless ocean, several figures dressed in the uniform of ARC’s elite heroes were sweating profusely.

Their eyes were locked onto a prison cell.

A prison cell with no prisoner inside.

"Where the hell did he escape to?" the leader shouted. A golden badge was pinned to his chest. "If Crimson sees this, he’ll tear us apart." 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

Sweat rolled down his back.

The junior officers were no better. This place was a heavily guarded offshore facility, built specifically to hold high risk individuals. Surveillance cameras lined every wall. Every corner was secured.

And yet, the criminal meant to face trial had vanished.

They were finished.

Just as panic reached its peak, a metallic pipe in the corner of the room twisted.

It warped, bending unnaturally, as if space itself was being crushed.

Then it vanished.

A young man dressed entirely in black stood in its place.

Expression blank.

The heroes froze, horror written across their faces. None of them could speak.

Ronan looked at them calmly.

Then he spoke, his voice as flat as his expression.

"I believe the trial is starting soon."

-----------

Back at the Trial Court, everyone had settled into their seats inside the massive, meticulously constructed structure.

The audience was packed.

Executives. High ranking guild members. National rulers. Influential figures whose names alone carried weight. The air itself felt heavy under their presence.

On the right section, separated from the rest, sat the renowned Class S heroes. Legends in their own right. Undying Flame was there, along with others of similar stature, with Beast Being positioned at the front, his presence dominating the row.

Opposite them, on the left section, sat a younger group.

Compared to the Class S heroes, they looked almost inexperienced, yet every one of them radiated absolute confidence in their strength.

The Tryst Guild.

The fastest rising upstart guild in the world.

At the core front seats sat Silver Wing, Aiden, Clara, Shae, Bron, Shin, and Funakly. At the very front, occupying the lead seat, was Han Trystan himself. Calm. Still. Watching everything.

At the highest seat of the court sat an elderly man who looked to be in his sixties. In truth, he was far older.

A retired Class S hero.

And a powerful one at that.

The judge for today’s trial.

Sir Raptor Jude.

Below him stood a man wearing glasses, with two smaller pairs resting atop his head, giving him four pairs in total. His expression was composed, firm, and sharp enough to make anyone uneasy.

He was the first to speak.

"Where is the one to be tried?"

As his voice echoed, one of the massive doors at the upper end of the building slowly opened.

A familiar hero stepped out.

Crimson Scale.

Flanking him from all sides was a young man with raven black hair and an expression completely devoid of emotion.

He walked forward without hesitation.

Toward the center stage prepared for him.

Ronan Steele took his position, standing tall, his face calm and unreadable.

No time was wasted.

"Today’s trial concerns the deaths of numerous notable figures," the official announced. "Heroes, civilians, and many others."

A brief pause followed.

"One of the most prominent being the recently deceased Class S hero, Buster."

The weight of that name rippled through the court.

"All incidents are tied to the individual standing before us."

His gaze locked onto Ronan.

"Let the trial of the elite member of the Tryst Guild, Ronan Steele, commence."

Silence fell.

Heavy.

Unforgiving.

Han leaned back slightly, eyes narrowing.

It had finally begun.

TO BE CONTINUED...