The weapons I forge are absolutely flawless.

“What is your purpose in coming to this world?” Vena asked bluntly.

“Just for fun,” Arios said frankly. Seeing Vina’s brow furrow slightly, he added, “Don’t look at me like that. I can make up other purposes, but this is indeed the true thought of the original body. This world is about to end.”

"The end?" Viner's eyes sharpened.

"Or to put it another way, they've grown tired of this game of heroes, and there won't be any more heroes in the future."

"As the last hero, I originally intended to end this world by destroying the Demon God, but I ended up falling into the hands of my own people," Arios sneered.

“What impact will this have?” Wiener asked.

"It won't have much of an impact; it'll just mean they'll be destroyed sooner or later," Arios continued. "Do you know why the way demons are dealt with is usually by sealing them rather than eliminating them? Demons are essentially taking away the power of the demon gods. If we kill them all, that power will flow back to the demon gods, making them even stronger."

"The emblems are the opposite. The power left behind by the goddess will not continue to increase, and the more people who obtain the emblems, the less will be distributed among them. You will face the strongest demon god without any heroes."

"It sounds like a dead end."

"Of course, what you'll face is even more difficult than what Hitchley went through; at least she still had the Holy Sword in her hands," Arios sneered, as if he had already foreseen the devastation to come.

“If that’s the case, then I also have the Holy Sword in my hand,” Vena retorted.

“If you had truly gained the Holy Sword’s approval, you should know that it’s currently just a pretty face with no practical use,” Arios bluntly stated.

“Escuda isn’t like what you say. Even though she can’t draw her sword, she’s still helping humanity in her own way—” Vena started to say, but then suddenly realized something, “Wait a minute, who exactly are you?”

Based on what he said later, it's impossible that it's just a simple memory of Arios.

"You found it pretty quickly." Arios smirked.

At the same time, Escudo's voice roared frantically in Vena's mind: "Vena, this guy has completely broken free of my restraints! Watch out! He's not—"

Viner instinctively gripped the Seven Star Sword in his hand, cautiously watching his opponent.

Arios, however, adopted a harmless demeanor and said calmly, "Don't worry, I've already left this world. I'm just using this trace to say a few last words to you."

Vena suddenly realized that the "Arios" before her was no longer a remnant of her memory, but the real person who had personally descended.

"I'm curious, how do you plan to break this current situation?"

With a slight thought, Arios forced Escudo out of the void, causing him to fall to the ground.

“There’s a ready-made answer,” Arios said meaningfully.

If one is willing to sacrifice, Escuddo is indeed a divine sword capable of slaying gods and demons.

Vina stepped forward, shielding Escudo behind her, and then answered decisively, "Even without the Holy Sword, I will still destroy the Demon God."

“That’s ambitious,” Arios couldn’t help but applaud. “I just hope you can still think that way after seeing this.”

After he finished speaking, he waved his hand, and a picture immediately appeared in the air—Tilisa was shackled and imprisoned in a cell filled with magic runes, looking haggard.

"Who did this?" Viner's voice suddenly turned cold, a flash of anger in his eyes.

"The Kingdom of Fagas"

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Chapter 579 The Hero Returns

When the last sphere of light exploded with a "pop," the force field that had been blocking Jessica from getting closer also dissipated.

"Vina!" Jessica leaped forward in an instant, embracing the figure who had been waiting so anxiously without hesitation. "You've finally—"

Before she could finish speaking, Vena recognized the person in front of him in the bright light. Without any preamble, he asked directly, "Tell me what happened in the kingdom. How did Tilisa end up in their hands?"

Jessica was slightly taken aback, then let go of her hand.

Although it is unclear how Vena learned of Tissa's arrest, she quickly relayed the information from the capital.

"...The kingdom has erected a viewing platform next to the Holy Knights' encampment. Tomorrow is the day Lady Rhea will cast her wish spell."

Setting the location for using the Prayer spell right under the Paladin Order's nose can be considered a concession.

Even if the Kingdom harbors ill intentions, the Holy Knights are not to be trifled with.

After Jessica finished speaking, Venere immediately said, "The ceremony must be stopped."

"What?" Jessica was still a little confused.

“If you don’t want Tissa to be convicted of killing the hero, then listen to me,” Vena said firmly.

“You tell me what to do.” Jessica immediately became serious upon hearing that it concerned the teacher’s reputation.

Perhaps it was because she was too concerned, but after so many things had happened, she had unconsciously come to regard Vina as her pillar of support.

“The first step is to return to Parebia Port,” Viner said briefly.

With a gentle tug, Escudo burst forth from the earth as if it couldn't wait, radiating a dazzling light.

The legendary holy sword shrank in size until it finally transformed into an exquisite ring, which wrapped around Venus's finger.

It wasn't until she saw the Holy Sword being so easily put away that Jessica realized that Vener was completely different now.

…………

"Hey, look at that!"

"That's a ship? Why is a ship flying in the sky?!"

"Stop talking, it's already here!"

An uproar erupted in the port of Parebia.

When the Yukikaze, which had disappeared for months, soared through the sky in a brand new form, it brought not amazement, but terror.

Some even speculate that the once unsinkable Yukikaze has transformed into a ghost ship to seek revenge.

Just as everyone was discussing this, a small, thin figure ran to the bow of the boat.

Compared to the unfamiliar Yukikaze, this figure felt very familiar to many people.

"Isn't that Donnie?"

"What is he going to do?"

Doni stood at the bow of the ship, holding up a bright red agate stone.

He took a deep breath, and his voice, amplified by a sound-amplifying spell, resounded throughout the harbor: "Hero—Lord Arios—has vanquished the Sea Demon!"

The short sentence exploded like a thunderclap from a clear sky.

Suddenly, everyone realized whose fault it was that the tide had receded so abruptly.

"Long live the hero!" "Long live Lord Arios!"

-------------

The news, which concerned the hero and the great joy of defeating the demon, spread far and wide that very day thanks to the efforts of many parties.

Amid the celebrations, it's hard not to think of the announcement the kingdom had made earlier.

If, as they say, the hero has been killed, then where did this "Arios" who destroyed the sea demon come from?

Rumors spread like wildfire, and speculation abounded.

The atmosphere inside the palace was somber.

"Where did this Arios come from?"

Labbel muttered to himself, a hint of doubt in his voice.

He had verified the news of Arios's death several times, but the description of the demon blood soul in the scout report did not seem to be fake.

Now that the die is cast, the prayer ceremony cannot be stopped under any circumstances.

Given the distance between Parebia Port and the capital, even arriving in a single day is no easy feat.

“Perhaps it was Rhea’s scheme,” Kifka speculated from the side. “She found someone else to impersonate Arios, creating the illusion that the hero had not died. If it really was Arios himself who took action, there would be no way Thales would have any Demon Blood Soul left.”

Most importantly, his appearance the day before the ceremony, rather than earlier or later, is quite intriguing.

"Then let's expose him in front of the whole world."

Just as the two were discussing, Jiuta suddenly appeared in the secret room.

His expression was cold and stern, showing no trace of his previous weakness.

Labbel looked up at Juta, waiting for him to continue.

“We only need to let Leia determine the authenticity of this hero. If she says he is fake, we can ask the academy to intervene on the grounds of blaspheming the hero’s name. If she insists he is real, then we only need to prove that this person is not Arios, and we can disgrace the academy,” Juta said slowly.

"It's strange, really. How could Rhea come up with such a flawed plan?" Kifka asked, puzzled.

“This move may not have been arranged by Leia,” Juta shook his head and said, “Tilisa has a disciple named Jessica. If it were her, she might be able to defeat Thales. This Arios might be someone she impersonated in order to save her master.”

-----------------

Rhea, who was making final preparations for tomorrow's operation, was also taken aback when she received the message from Samif.

“It’s Vena, it must be him,” Listy said without hesitation, her eyes filled with certainty. “He must be on his way to the capital.”

The only person I could think of who could bring out the Demon Blood Soul of the Sea Demon was Vena.

“What? That guy Viner just copied my method,” Felix couldn’t help but say.

He rarely shared the same idea as Wiener, but his suggestion was rejected on the spot, while Wiener acted first and informed Wiener later.

Only Samif frowned: "His unauthorized actions without prior notice will only put the academy at a disadvantage."

Since the emergence of the Hero class, there have naturally been many people who act under the guise of the Hero.

Some simply do good deeds anonymously, falsely claiming to be heroes, while others want to profit from the name of heroes.

The latter usually don't fare well.

Wiener made this matter public, and countless eyes are watching what will happen next. If it is exposed, the consequences will be unimaginable.

“Think about it from another angle, perhaps Venere is using this method to convey some kind of signal to us,” Lisette suddenly said.

She turned to Rhea, her tone firm: "Dean, I know the ceremony tomorrow cannot be stopped, but could we wait until Vena and the others arrive before performing this prayer spell?"

Leia closed her eyes slightly, seemingly weighing her options.

The room was silent, everyone waiting for her final decision.

After a moment, she slowly nodded: "Okay."

"Dean!" Samif seemed to want to say something, but was stopped by Rhea raising her hand.

“While Vena acts unconventionally, she is not the reckless type. Perhaps she received some guidance from the Holy Sword, which led her to make such a move,” Rhea explained.

"I just hope that he can give us a heads-up before doing something similar again."

Chapter 580 Confrontation in Court

As the morning sun shone down, the viewing platform was already surrounded by fully armed knights.

The news of the hero's reappearance did not hinder the ceremony in the slightest.

Based on the results of the prayer spell that Rhea will cast later, this extremely high-level amplification array might even become a judgment seat.

The envoys from the Empire and its allies had already arrived, each seated in their own private quarters, their expressions varied yet all carrying a hint of anticipation.

Regardless of today's outcome, the rift between the academy and the kingdom is destined to be irreparable.

In this respect, they were all happy to see it happen.

As Leia slowly stepped into the venue, the two envoys, along with their entourage, rose and bowed respectfully.

"I would like to trouble you all to be my witnesses today." Rhea nodded and returned the greeting.

"Rest assured, Your Excellency, we will act fairly and impartially in today's matter and will not favor the Kingdom," Imperial Envoy Berlant quickly assured him.

The envoy from the Allied Powers, Gobill, chimed in, "I heard rumors yesterday that the Hero has been out of sight recently in order to go out to sea to fight the Sea Demon. This is different from what the Kingdom says. Who knows if what they are saying is true or false."

Berlant, whose conflict with the kingdom ran even deeper, directly mocked: "If the kingdom had nothing to hide, why would it bother to cover it up like this? They were the ones who started this trouble, yet they don't even dare to give an explanation. It's utterly ridiculous."

No sooner had these words been spoken than Kifka entered from the opposite direction of the academy, as if timed perfectly.

He bowed slightly to the crowd, with a hint of apology: "I apologize for keeping you all waiting."

Regardless of whether Rhea intended to overturn the table, Labbel could not possibly place herself under the "protection" of the Holy Knights, so it was Kifka, the kingdom's prime minister, who stepped forward, along with Dimirli, who represented him.