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Chapter 578: Rug Metaphors

"Do you wish to call a final ruling?" asked Black

White's face got somewhat pinched at this, knowing the trap Black had manoeuvred her into. White also knew that simply allowing for the ruling would likely result in her lost. She let out a long hiss of air and a little bit of her demonic flame leaked out. Kat was surprised to see that White's demonic flame was actually black.

*Hehehehe. I don't know why I find that funny but I do. I know the white colouring is just make up but it's still funny to see the completely white person spit black fire. I doubt Black has white flames though it's possible. Actually… that makes me wonder. Does the real person behind White always pick White? As in do they always argue against things or is it just arguing against me specifically.*

Seeing that White wasn't making any further comments despite dragging things out Kat decided to let her mind wander some more. *So, following on from that thought. How do they put all that makeup on? I can see down their sleeves and it seems like a complete covering. I wonder if they have an enchantment for it? Or a machine? If not do they have to do it by hand? I know they were complaining a bit about it…*

*But was that because it's annoying to have makeup on you all day, even if it is special demon makeup? Or is it because it was an issue to put on. I mean surely there is a way to do it quickly. I refuse to believe they haven't figured something like that out for the courthouse at least even if it isn't practical for private use.*

While Kat was considering the wider implications of the makeup she was forced to wear White was making a few further faces trying to decide what was in her best interest until Judge spoke up. "White, if you have no further arguments I am willing to make my final verdict. I'd like to see at least the start of an argument within the next minute or I will consider it you accepting the request for final judgement."

White frowned at this while Black smirked slightly making use of the fact that she was hidden from White to get away with it. Kat started to wonder if this was the reason Black called for the Judgement. *Is this to make White uncomfortable? Not that she's completely confident in the verdict but that she can use it to force White to make some poor arguments?*

With just a second to go White finally spoke up, "I… I proffer that despite the moral correct nature of Kat's actions that has never been the purpose of Contracts. We as demons are required to uphold them before anything else. Stepping in the way of Xiang during the revenge Kat was requested to help with should be considered a failure to uphold the Contract."

Black didn't seem phased because she responded quickly with, "Even if we are willing to accept that Xiang was in his right mind, and that Kat's actions could be considered in violation of the Contract, the fact that she fought the sect leader nearly completely on her own, and certainly could be considered helping Xiang finish him off.

"As he was the leader of the sect, it could also be argued that he is the one truly at fault for the events at Xiang's village. Thus, with his death it could easily be concluded Kat completed the Contract and assisted in helping with Xiang's revenge."

White let out a long puff of air at this. The only way she could think to argue against the statement was to argue that Xiang wasn't in control and thus it was another being that took revenge and not him. With that being the case she could argue Kat assisted the other being and not Xiang. However, as Black had already brought up the fact that the only actions Kat took contrary to helping Xiang was when he wasn't in his correct mind at the end.

White further cursed internally that Black had brought it up as an opening argument. Now her thoughts kept drifting back towards that fact and she was finding it difficult to argue around that supposition. She realised her mistake now. Black had essentially won with that first argument in her eyes.

White knew now that because she didn't directly refute the fact that it was a different being she had backed herself into a corner. She had said there was no evidence of that being the case, and it was a good argument to force Black to back off from the point. Instead Black went fully on board, always arguing the case, only if one believed White's forced interpretation of the events. White sighed a second time and said sadly, "I'm ready for Judge to make her final verdict" knowing that she still got a bonus for timeliness even if it wasn't anywhere close to the amount, she'd get for winning.

"White has called for a final verdict. Do you agree with this Black?" asked Judge.

"I agree to move forward with the final verdict" replied Black, and Kat felt this set of lines were certainly rehearsed. *Then again. I suppose if you have to say that every single arbitration then you'd have rehearsed it well after a while. I mean they could have been doing this for hundreds of years at this point.*

Judge nodded at the statement and banged both hands on the desk twice. "Thus I declare my Judgement. In the case of Kat and the uncompleted Contract with Contractee Xiang she is found to have met the terms and completed the Contract to the best of her abilities considering the nature of the request and how poorly chosen the demon was for the job.

"Thus I reward Kat with the fu-" suddenly Judge was cut off as she glanced slightly up into thin air. "Hmm, this is unusual. I didn't realise the runes had been so broken. Hmmmm." Judge trailed off letting the words hang as she bit her lip. It was the first time Kat had seen Judge, or any of the court room demons, show that much emotion.

"Um… what seems to be the issue?" asked Kat confused.

Judge sucked in a breath. "I suppose I can explain." She then looked to Black and White and added, "Note this does not count against your time. This is slightly unusual situation that I wish had been properly mentioned in the packet. You are both free to leave as no argument will affect my Judgement in this case. You are also welcome to stay as this is covered by your current oaths"

Black and White leaned back to look at each other and shrugged before returning to a resting position and nodding up at Judge. "I see you have chosen to stay. That's fine. Now Kat, the issue is that this arbitration was not given the power to award you this much money. I have authority to release a certain amount of funds to you plus extra for inconvenience if I so chose. However the payout from the Contract was extremely high"

"Um… why is that?" asked Kat confused.

Judge put a hand in her sleeve and pulled out a rug. "Think of this rug as the fabric of a dimension. Normally, when the runes are done right," a piece of string snaked its way out of Judge's sleeve and slipped through the rug to the other side, "it acts like a beacon to pull you in," the string retracted, "however if the payment is high enough, the runes don't need to be good," Judge punched her hand straight through the rug tearing it as she went and then made a grabbing motion in the air, "you can just grab something close enough," she pulled the clenched first back through and the rug knit itself back together, "and use the extra power to seal the gap. The power comes from D.E.M.O.N.S and that's why it takes part of the cost of summoning. In this case I'm honestly surprised at how much it cost. With the broken runes it was essentially the fortune of an entire ancient sect. Even with D.E.M.O.N.S taking a large chunk of that… there's still too much to give you outright."

"Is there a way to get the extra? Is it worth the trouble?" asked Kat

"I'm not sure off the top of my head" said Judge thoughtfully, "I know it's certainly possible, but not the procedures for it. I'm not even sure if you'd have gotten it all had the Contract completed properly. What I can do is authorise releasing as much as I am able and making a note in the case file that the reason you didn't receive the full some was that I'm unable to give it to you and that I recommend rectifying that"

Kat shrugged. "Sure"