The sun—the blinding golden intensity of the Empyrean Pearl scattered by the high-speed rotation of the Celestial Lantern's golden circlet wheels—beat down upon the Diala settlement. Idan and Omari had managed to sneak a depleted Alem back to their quarter, but there was no rest. The call from the Council of Elders—the governing body composed of high-ranking representatives from the four Roles—was immediate.
The trial was not held in a formal courtroom, but in the open-air central plaza, under the full, accusatory glare of the cosmic light. This was a Se-ipunnu (reckoning), a spiritual inquiry meant to determine the cost of the trifecta's actions in Sasa (the present) on the fabric of Zamani (the long past) and the resulting stability of Mustakabali (possible futures).
The Accusation
Idan, Omari, and Alem stood before the Council. Presiding was Aisha Kemet, the Saffron Mystic Elder, her Orange Aura of rigorous adherence glowing fiercely. Her accusation was simple and devastating: Sacrilege via Transgression of Order.
"Your defense of the settlement, while successful, was not an act of Ubuntu or Agape," Aisha Kemet stated, her voice ringing with authority. "It was an act of selfish desperation. Amari, you used the boundless, unimaginable pressure of The Thrum—the final repository of all sin—to erase an enemy."
She gestured dramatically toward Alem, who stood upright but looked utterly hollow. The Albino Mystic was clinging to a heavily woven, sapphire-colored shawl around his shoulders—one of his Cosmic Energy Absorbing Artifacts. Its faint glow was the only source of Ase fueling his exhausted body, supplementing the cosmic energy he could only barely absorb naturally.
"The Thrum is a sacred thing, only for Chi," Kemet continued. "By commanding it, you forced a principle of annihilation to act against a principle of entropy. You risked unbalancing the very sequence of Creation. Tell the Council, Amari, what did you pay to prevent the invasion?"
Alem inhaled, the effort visible. His voice was raspy, but his intent, his Blue Aura of flowing Ase, was steady despite his depletion.
"Elder Kemet, I paid nothing. Chi exists within and without His Creation. He does not require payment, but alignment. My action was alignment," Alem countered. "The Dreadnought was a concentrated force of Iku, a corruption of the land—an absolute sin against the continuity of life force (Ase). I asked Aye, to remove the sin as Chidesigned it to do. I did not violate the wall of Mystery; I appealed to a predictable sequence of principles within Creation itself."
He looked directly at the Council. "I acted on Ubuntu—selfless love of neighbor. To allow the Dreadnought to live would have ensured the destruction of the community. My Makoma provided the potential for a bargain with Aye. I used that potential to save the collective. Is not a life saved worth more than a principle observed?"
Captain Akeno Olugbade, the Silhouette Warrior, shifted, his eyes fixed on Idan. "Odogwu, your Warrior's testimony. Your body, the embodiment of strength, stands in defense of this heretic. Yet, we have records that you are stalled at the Novice stage due to Ase stagnation—a spiritual ailment caused by pursuing the Spear of Charisma when your Makoma dictated the Bow and Shield arts. Is the testimony of a man who contradicts his own essential duty, his own Makoma, valid in this reckoning?"
The accusation hit Idan like a physical blow. He was radiating a confused blend of Red Hue (anger at the accusation) and Green Hue (fear of political consequence).
Idan stepped forward, his massive frame eclipsing Alem. "Elder Kemet, Captain Olugbade. You speak of stagnation and contradiction. I was stalled, yes. But when the Thrum took the Dreadnought, the remaining Rakshasha Asuras attacked my friends. I dropped the Shield of Durability—the only formal art I could manifest—and used only my body. I used my Boxing and Wrestling arts, the potential my Makoma had given me, to destroy the threats with pure strength. I saved them by finally accepting the truth."
He slammed his fist against his chest. "I am a Warrior—that is my essential duty. I am not a Mystic who understands the principles of the Thrum, but I understand the principle of Sasa: the immediate moment demanded the desperate action. If the formal rules of the Roles condemn survival, then the rules are less important than the lives of the community we swore to protect. The Asuras brought Iku; we responded with Ase, regardless of the cos."
The Council conferred in silence, the weight of the moment heavy with the scent of cosmic light and Ase.
Aisha Kemet raised her hand. "The Se-ipunnu has determined the truth of the situation. Amari, your intent was Ubuntu, but your method risked the foundation of our existence. You are guilty of spiritual overreach."
She paused, her expression hardening. "However, the Dreadnought is gone. The Rakshasha Asuras retreated with unprecedented speed, suggesting their power source was not only cut but annihilated. The balance must be restored not by punishment, but by service that corrects the anomaly."
"Your penance is a task, a necessary spiritual quest. You, Idan Odogwu, Omari Imamu, and Alem Amari, must descend into the Salt Flats and locate the Source of Iku that fueled this uncommon tactical invasion. We believe the Asuras found a means to draw dark power that far surpassed their typical nightly raids. You must eliminate this source."
Kemet looked directly at Alem. "This mission is the only way to balance the cosmic debt you incurred from the Thrum. Should you fail, you will face exile from Diala."
The trifecto was officially cleared of immediate heresy, but given an impossible, likely fatal, mission to clear their names. The dark truth of the Diegesis-noir reality was confirmed: political maneuvering was often more deadly than a direct battle.