Aftermath

(3rd Person POV)

Ledior Vaude, the heir of the noble House Vaude, uses Spacial Magic. That's an inherent trait of the family and makes them a pretty prominent one to boot. But they suffer from rather ordinary members, which is the reason for their rather mediocre status amongst the nobles in the Clover Kingdom. Ledior Vaude can be said to be average in terms of talent compared to other nobles. But if we compare him to commoners, that makes him a relatively young, solid man. As a noble, his mana pool is larger than average, and with the powerful magic of spatial magic, he has a bright future ahead of him.

However, standing in front of the 13-year-old Ledior Vaude is the 6-year-old Mereoleona Vermillion. Now, she is an entirely different breed of magician. She is a noblewoman and the first daughter of the Clover Kingdom's House Vermillion, one of its royal families. Not only does this place her in a higher position than Ledior Vaude, but she is also far above him regarding talent and magic power. Even at this stage, the small lioness can stand in front of the teenager and intimidate him. She is utterly fearless and roars out her disagreement and contempt for the heir of House Vaude.

"Don't go around acting all mighty when you are so weak. YOU HEAR ME?!" the little lioness shouts.

"Why you!! How dare you hit me?!! I'll show you..."

Ledior Vaude stands up and immediately uses his Spacial Magic. He raises his arm and swings it down. This would look strange to those who aren't attuned to magic or have never seen Spacial Magic, as nothing seems to happen. Those are the people who usually die very quickly against a spacial mage. But Mereoleona, despite her tender age, is the daughter of the battle-loving Noraleona Vermillion and the overpowered Shinigami/Sorcerer/Magician Yamamoto Solgoleon Vermillion.

Trusting her senses, which screamed danger, the small Mereoleona dodged backwards. She managed to dodge Ledior's special attack, which landed on the ground and immediately eliminated a part of it. One might ask himself why Noraleona didn't act right away and stop the dangerous attack. But the mother lioness trusts nothing more than her husband to keep their children safe. As she looks to the side, she sees Yamamoto with his hand on the handle of his Katana. His expression tells her all she must know.

Having dodged Ledior's first attack, Mereoleona cannot avoid dealing damage. Her heartbeat shoots through the roof, and her fighting spirit ignites. The small girl pulls her fist back and shoots forward. Seeing the small girl attack, Ledior narrows his eyes and swipes his hand, using Spacial Magic to form a portal and eliminate Mereoleona. Feeling the danger return, Mereoleona jumps into the air. With remarkable strength and agility at her age, she jumps over the portal and reaches Ledior. Fire ignites on her fist.

*BANG*

Her small fist hits the brat's face and rattles his brain. Now, an attack of such scale should never do this much damage, but two things are important here. First, never in the 13 years of his life has anyone ever harmed Ledior, and let's not talk about punching him. So, he was unfamiliar with the pain and had no resistance against it. And second, Mereoleona is no ordinary child.

The fire she had coated her fist with caused Ledior's cheek to be scorched and turn black. The smell of burnt flesh spreads through the area and causes a commotion. The people suddenly get anxious, and from the crowd, some men make their way closer. The crowd parts and gives way to Lorin Vaude, the current Lord of House Vaude and Ledior's father. He arrives with two guards belonging to his house. As he sees his son's state, he suddenly grows angry.

"LEDIOR! Ledior, what happened?"

He kneels next to his son, inspecting the damage and looking around. He checks everyone present, looking for the potential culprit. As his eyes land on Mereoleona, he notices the few flames still lingering on her fist and the smoke lingering around her.

"Was it you? Did you do this to my son?" he asks her.

"Yes! Your son just attacked someone without reason. He can't do that!" she roars defiantly.

"So you touched my son ... because he disciplined some lowlifes?"

"Don't call them that! What do you know, you ugly waste of space."

"..."

*VROOOOM*

Lorin unleashes powerful mana as he looks at Mereoleona with contempt. However, the pressure she is feeling immediately disappears. The little girl looks at her father, who has just appeared at her side and placed a hand on her shoulder. Seeing her father without a happy smile or content expression worries her, as he looks right at Lorin.

"You should learn to choose your battles carefully. When you exercise discretion, you will realise that most fights are best avoided."

The low voice of Yamamoto is heard. He doesn't do anything and just looks at the man. What Lorin sees, however, and what he experiences is completely different. His soul feels pressured as Yamamoto's eyes bore into his. His body feels so heavy, and it is as if he is about to die at any moment.

"Whoever touches my family mustn't wonder if they receive the full brunt of my hate."

*Shing*

No one knows for sure what happened, but it is a fact that Lorin Vaude has lost both his hands, consciousness and his dignity this day.

.

In the evening, the family sat in their garden after the children went through their training. Yamamoto personally watched over it since Noraleona had something else to do. So the three sat there and watched the sunset while drinking some lemonade.

"Dad?" Mereoleona asks.

"Hm?"

"What did you do to the ugly noble today?"

"Yeah, I saw you looking at him, and then he suddenly began to tremble in fear, and after that, I didn't see it anymore," Fuegoleon added his impressions.

"I showed him the clear line he shouldn't have crossed and punished him for doing so. Sometimes, there are no warnings in life, and there may come a day in your life when your decisions, no matter how hard they may be, are simply wrong. This was such a moment for Lorin Vaude. He shouldn't have pressured you with his mana. When someone unleashes his mana in this way, it means he is preparing to fight, and no one touches my children. So I acted and cut off his two hands to remind him of that fact."

"But what about the snotty brat who fought Mereoleona? He also attacked her with his magic, right?" Fuegoleon asked.

"Indeed. But sometimes, it is worth it to enter life-threatening situations, especially if you want to grow more powerful in battle. This was a controlled environment where I could guarantee your safety without you realising it. So you gained valuable experience, which will help you in the future."

"So what was the difference between the father Lorin and his son Ledior? Wouldn't I have gained more experience if I had to take all of the pressure, Dad?" Mereoleona asks.

"There is a difference between gaining experience and needlessly exposing yourself to danger. You are still 6 years old, and as such, since I am here, you may take the time to grow and fight your battles. There may come a time when I won't be there to protect you. But as long as I am, I will protect all of you, as a parent should."

"..."

"Did your parents also take care of you?" Fuegoleon asks.

"..."

"..."

"My situation was a bit different from yours."

"How so?"

"You see, when I was born, I was alone. There was no one to take care of me, and I had to find my own path. I was born with remarkable powers, and thanks to that, I managed to find my way and thrive. I lived my life training and looking for either challenges or interesting things to observe. But ever since meeting your mother, things have started to change. My wish to see the world forced me to go on a journey, but unlike others in her position, your mother simply accompanied me ... and kept challenging me. Hehe.

As the years passed, we grew closer, and I came to see her as part of the journey itself. I couldn't think of a journey without her. Naturally, I was the mature one and asked her wheth-"

*BONK*

"DON'T TELL OUR CHILDREN LIES LIKE THAT!"

"Mom!"

"Did dad lie about it?"

"Of course. Please don't listen to your father; he's lying. He didn't even look at me before I asked him to marry me. Hmpf."

"Hehehe." "Hahaha"

"So what changed then, dad?"

"As I said, your mother appeared in my life. She changed what is important to me, and so I refocused my interests on her and, of course, on both of you. Right now, there is nothing more important than you three, and as long as I can, I will protect you and prepare you for your journey."

"But, won't we grow weak if you always protect us?" Mereoleona muses out loud.

"Don't worry. I will make you both go through hellish training to maximize your potential. You will become the mightiest lions in the world."

"You can trust your father in that aspect, at least." Noraleona says," ever since i started challenging him, I have made a giant leap in strength, both magically and physically. He will ensure you both are as powerful as possible."

.

.

Yamamoto was ordered to come to the Magic Parliament Courthouse by House Kira for trial. Naturally, he didn't care about the summoning and didn't go. This refusal was an insult to House Kira and the King himself. In view of the potential repercussions this had for his family and their descendants, Yamamoto decided to go to Magic Parliament Courthouse and settle their differences right away.

The Magic Parliament Courthouse is a round tower that stands several stories tall. The main entrance leads to a raised platform where criminals stand awaiting judgment. To the left of the main entrance, a raised walkway extends from a smaller door, where additional witnesses or criminals can be brought out. Opposite the main entrance is a large staircase that leads up to a large door, from which the chairman enters. The rest of the Magic Parliament sits in three tiers of gallery seating.

As Yamamoto walked in, he was handcuffed, as if that would do anything if he chose to act against them. But it was protocol, and to hear the overprivileged nobles out, Yamamoto let things be ... for now.

"Who is that?"

"Oh, that's the current head of House Vermillion? How rude what he did."

"And look at his clothes; he dresses like a commoner."

"Disgusting. He thinks his station will save him?"

The court members started talking among themselves and whispered trash about Yamamoto as he stood there. He didn't bother to dress nicely and wore casual clothes. His face was one of indifference for reasons only he himself knew.

"The pillar of legislation and justice for the Clover Kingdom, the Magic Parliament. I am the Chairman, Judicatus Kira, and shall pass judgment upon Solgoleon Vermillion of the noble Vermillion Family."

Yamamoto looked at the man, who was most likely the father of Damnatius Kira from canon. He didn't mind the man, as he could tell Judicatus Kira was different from his son and wanted justice. But it wouldn't save him or anyone else in the courtroom from what might happen.

"To think that someone like him, from a royal family, would act so vulgar and disgusting ... ptui, I wish he would disappear from my sight," said the King of the Clover Kingdom.

"Solgoleon Vermillion. From the Royal House Vermillion of the Royal Capital. You are a royal, a brute, and despite your overwhelming magical potential, you have committed a grave sin. You have dared to not only touch a fellow noble, but you have directly harmed him and cut off both of his hands. How do you plead?"

"He cut off Lorin's hands?! How vile!"

"He should be executed immediately."

"How evil!"

"He's so obviously guilty!"

Yamamoto looked around the court at each of the nobles who sat on a chair and judged him.

"Guilty?" Yamamoto's deep voice rang out and was heard throughout the courthouse, stopping all chatter.

"You claim that I'm guilty? And who decided that?"

Judicatus Kira raised his hand, showing the scale in his hand and the fact that the scale tipped against Yamamoto's favour. This was usually the sign that someone was guilty. However, the spell Judicatus used was called Scale Regulate. It balances out the magic power of the two sides, shrinking the size of active spells. If needed, he can tip the balance manually and adjust the number of weights.

"The facts were heard and you haven't claimed otherwise. You have exerted deadly force against a fellow noble and your status as a member of the royal family doesn't help you in this case, since His Majesty, the King of the Clover Kingdom has allowed you to be prosecuted. You are guilty and no matter how you feel about it, the hate you might feel agianst your current situation, nothing will change that."

*VRROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMM*

Yamamoto suddenly unleashes powerful spiritual and magical pressure, pressing the entire court into their seats. The spiritual pressure presses their very souls and his mana onto their physical bodies. If he weren't holding himself back, Yamamoto would have already killed everyone inside the Courthouse.

"Hate? Why would I bear any hatred towards those who are obviously weaker than I am? All I feel is pity. So let me ask you again ..."

*BOOOOOM*

The pressure intensified, causing almost everyone inside the room to fall unconscious. And they will die if he doesn't stop very soon.

"... who decided that I'm guilty?"

Yamamoto's boundless will suddenly bore into Judicatus' and the King of the Clover Kingdom's minds for a second, causing their hearts to stop.

"Anyone who threatens my family will meet the same, if not a more tragic end. So take this experience to heart. I am not to be trifled with."

Everyone fell unconscious as the entire Magic Parliament Courthouse broke down around them.