Sinbound: The Reincarnated Tyrant of Valkyrion Academy
Chapter 25 - 9: The Court of Echoes

Chapter 25: Chapter 9: The Court of Echoes

A trial is not always about right or wrong.

Sometimes, it’s about which version of the truth survives.

Day Nine.

The Echo Court opened beneath Valkyrion’s foundation layer.

Not inside a room.

Inside a memory.

A reconstructed timeline chamber built from stable echoes and fragments of erased events. The walls shimmered with translucent scenes—moments not meant to exist anymore.

But now?

They were being put on record.

At the center sat a circular platform with twelve witness slots, each one reserved for a different kind of echo:

Erased characters.

Unwritten versions.

Drafted-but-deleted personalities.

And for the first time, the court would hear a testimony.

From someone who had never been allowed to speak.

Seria stood beside the witness platform, hand clenched tight around her sword.

Across from her?

Herself.

Version 1.2 Seria.

Black armor. Red eyes. Cold, calculating, and brutal.

Known in lost history as Seria the Iron Flame.

The version created during the Tyrant Rewrite—used to enforce obedience, stripped of emotion.

This Seria had been erased before Riven reset the system.

And yet, here she stood again.

Alive.

Real.

And ready to testify.

Lysara, now High Arbiter of the Echo Court, addressed both versions.

"This trial is not about guilt. It is about identity. Two versions. One legacy. Only one will remain as canonical."

Aren and Kairen sat in the upper gallery.

Mira, silent, recorded everything.

Tenno stood guard at the narrative perimeter.

The air vibrated.

System Prompt:

Case: Seria vs. Seria

Question: Who represents the true evolution of the character?

Judgment: Consensus via witness empathy + internal system resonance

Iron Flame Seria spoke first.

"I was created to protect order. And I did. Efficiently. Perfectly. Without hesitation."

"Love slowed me down. Mercy diluted the mission. This world was saved by strength—not sentiment."

Present Seria said nothing.

At first.

Then, slowly:

"You’re right. I was efficient when I was you. But I was empty."

"I followed orders so perfectly I forgot why I was fighting."

"I’m still a warrior. But I fight for something now. Not just against chaos."

The court shifted.

Suddenly, the room filled with memories.

Students standing behind each Seria.

Some trembling under Iron Flame’s gaze.

Others placing their hands over their hearts near the current Seria.

Empathy flowed.

So did fear.

Aren whispered, "Which one will the system choose?"

Lysara’s voice filled the hall.

"Let the echo memory decide."

She raised her hand.

The system responded.

Resonance Scan Complete

Core Alignment: 64% Present Seria

Echo Retention: 36% Iron Flame

Verdict: Retain Core — Archive Echo

Iron Flame Seria stared at herself.

"Do I just disappear again?"

Present Seria stepped forward.

"No. You become part of me. Just like the scars I chose to keep."

She raised her hand.

And reached out.

Their fingers touched.

The court dimmed.

And the Iron Flame stepped forward...

And dissolved into light.

System Update:

Trait Gained: "Unified Self" – Seria’s combat precision now combines with empathetic judgment

Emotional Anchor: Reinforced

Echo Corruption Resistance: Increased

Outside the court, the whispers spread fast:

"The court works."

"They’re really listening."

"Maybe I’ll testify next..."

But not all echoes wanted justice.

Some wanted revenge.

That night, a shadow slipped through the old courtyard.

A version of Kaela—one that had burned cities to protect her team—watched the real one from afar.

And whispered:

"I won’t be forgotten."

Then she stepped into the ink.

And was gone.

Aren sat in the library when Kairen brought him a message.

Folded parchment.

Inside, a single line:

"The next witness... is you."

He looked at her.

She said nothing.

And for the first time since arriving at Valkyrion, Aren felt unprepared.

Because he didn’t know what version of himself would stand across the court.

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