The weapons I forge are absolutely flawless.

Franz rebuked him, then turned and walked to the edge of the city wall, looking down at Wiener below.

“Arios, if you really have something to say to His Majesty, you can go to the palace to confront him, instead of bringing a large army to coerce him.”

Franz's voice was loud and clear; though it couldn't carry throughout the capital like Wiener's, it was loud enough for everyone on and off the city walls to hear.

"The Empire, the Allied Powers, and the Holy Knights—you're so well-prepared, it doesn't seem like you're here to demand an explanation, but rather to force your way out. Have you forgotten that you are a citizen of the Kingdom of Fasga?"

As Franz's questioning fell silent, the kingdom's soldiers, who had been hesitant, finally came to their senses. They raised their weapons again and aimed at the enemy below the city.

Yes, whether he is a hero or not, he is now an enemy.

Compared to the crime of attacking a hero, disobeying orders on the battlefield would result in immediate execution.

In just a few words, he destroyed most of the momentum that Wiener had built up.

"It was this man who led the army and tried to keep us here," Lisette whispered to Vina, tattled on him.

Wiener nodded, indicating that he understood.

“But when Labbel plotted to frame Tilisa and sent troops to besiege the Holy Knights, it didn’t seem like a hasty move. St. Freya Academy has been fighting against the demons for nearly a thousand years, and this is the first time that its own people have pointed weapons at it.”

“This is because—” Franz was about to speak in his defense when Wiener’s louder voice drowned him out.

"Shut up! You're a shameless and indiscriminate person! I'm talking to Labbel, when did it become your place to interrupt!"

As he spoke, Wiener drew his Zenith sword, and a sharp sword shadow appeared in the air as it headed straight for Franz.

The sword shadow wasn't particularly fast, yet it gave him a feeling that was difficult to resist.

Franz knew he couldn't back down now, or all his previous efforts would be in vain. He immediately drew the demon sword from his waist, attempting to block the attack.

The moment the demonic blade made contact with the sword shadow, a crisp "crack" was heard. The demonic blade, which had become inseparable from his life, shattered instantly. Franz himself was also blasted away by the powerful impact, his fate unknown.

Both the defenders on the city walls and the allied forces below were stunned by the outcome.

No one would question the hero's strength, but Viner's act of defeating an eighth-tier emblem wielder with a single move from a distance of a thousand meters still refreshed the soldiers' imagination, and the bows they had just raised were quietly lowered again.

Vena's cold gaze swept across the city wall, and he said in a deep voice, "Who else wants to speak up for Labbel?"

The city wall was deathly silent; no one dared to answer.

“Then I will continue.” Vena sheathed the Zenith Sword and recounted Labbel’s crimes. “You should not have forgotten Rogurd, the one who colluded with the demon apostles on your orders and forged a large number of cursed weapons. After the incident, you executed him for treason, cutting him off cleanly and decisively.”

"But you took over all those cursed equipment and the methods for forging them to control your Emblem users. Even your own son, Dimir, was not spared."

"Not only that, you also colluded with demons, turning those powerful emblem wielders who refused to submit to you into demon apostles under your control. You're planning to attack St. Freya Academy because you're worried about these dirty tricks being exposed, aren't you?"

Vina's voice once again resounded throughout the capital, stirring up a great uproar.

While some citizens and nobles were shocked by these secrets, another group remained silent, seemingly already aware of the situation.

"Is everything he said true?"

Perez's voice trembled slightly, revealing his wavering.

“That’s right. After I was captured, I was almost forcibly transformed into a demon apostle by Labbel.”

Every word Tilissa uttered struck Perez's heart like a hammer blow, as if it were shattering something.

"Fortunately, Lady Tissa is safe and sound."

Perez wasn't good at offering comfort, and could only express his sympathy with such words.

“I am not unharmed.” Tilisa shook her head. “I have lost the power of the emblem forever. If the general wishes, he could even capture me and use me to blackmail Arios.”

"How could I do such a thing!" Perez hurriedly declared. "Wouldn't that make me no different from those beasts of the demon race!"

"Then please continue, General."

Seeing the other party's attitude, Tilissa knew that she was only one step away from persuading this border general.

Wiener's condemnation is far from over.

"...I've thought about it. How could King Labbel, who, if not a man of great talent and ambition, at least had worked diligently to govern for a long time, have become like this? There's probably only one reason—the one sitting on the throne now is no longer Labbel Ejit Bredad."

“A puppet whose body has been possessed by a demon would naturally not dare to come out and confront it.”

If the person shouting below the city were Edelweiss or Chlorie, the same words would probably only invite ridicule from the kingdom's people.

However, standing below the city walls at this moment is "Arios," and even if this news is unbelievable, it is enough to make people think.

"My lord, has there been any news from the palace yet?"

The defenders on the city wall have already begun to waver.

"This is not something you should be thinking about."

The garrison commander could only use reprimands to mask his unease.

If the allied forces were to directly attack the city, they could still use the threat of death to lull themselves into a false sense of security.

But Viña simply stood there, waiting quietly, along with the entire army behind him; everyone was waiting.

The pressure is on the kingdom's side; it seems everyone is waiting for the royal figure to appear and respond.

"Arios!"

Just then, a loud voice rang out.

Accompanied by the sound, a dark figure sped from the direction of the palace and quickly approached the city wall.

Once it settled, dozens of powerful emblem bearers appeared, and standing in the center of them was none other than La Belle himself.

Shockingly, among them were some high-ranking emblem envoys who had already been confirmed missing or even reported dead, adding a touch of eeriness to the scene.

Labbel stared intently at Vena, his eyes burning with intense hatred and murderous intent: "I don't know how you came back from the dead, but today is your death day."

Chapter 680 The First Signs of Chaos

When the heraldic envoys who should have been missing or dead appeared with Rabel, much of the evidence against Venus was confirmed.

These familiar faces, however, do not bring peace of mind.

"We'll see if you can do it!"

Venus summoned the Phoenix Cloth, and her body was instantly enveloped in intense radiance.

He rose into the air from the ground and flew straight up to the city wall.

The divine light emanating from Escudo caused most of the emblems behind Labbel to instinctively shrink back in fear, but some people showed no fear and stepped forward to meet it.

It was this instantaneous difference that Viner immediately noticed, allowing him to quickly assess their strength distribution: "Of the thirty-five half-demons, eight have reached the level of ordinary demons?"

With this thought in mind, Vena suddenly swung her longsword, and a sharp sword aura instantly transformed into countless sword shadows, sweeping towards Labbel.

Just as the attack was about to reach its target, the eight stronger half-demons suddenly changed formation and joined forces to create a barrier, completely neutralizing all the attacks.

"Insanity!"

Seeing that Viner dared to provoke him, Labbel roared and launched a counterattack.

Unlike those heralds who rely on weapons or magic, he depends more on his fists.

With a single punch, the wind from the punch exploded like thunder, hitting Viner almost instantly.

Although the Saint Cloth's powerful protection prevented him from being injured, the enormous impact still forced him back several steps.

Immediately afterwards, the other apostles also made their moves, various sword energies and magic intertwined to form a dense offensive that swept towards Vina.

Having already tested the waters, Vena had no intention of confronting them head-on. Using the recoil from La Belle's punch, she turned and decisively leaped off the city wall.

"Don't even think about escaping!" Labbel shouted coldly, and the eight half-demons instantly gave chase, jumping off the city wall without hesitation after Vina.

Previously, it was always a large number of human Emblem users who joined forces to besiege the Demon God, but now, Vena, who is impersonating Arios, is enjoying the same treatment.

"stupid."

Faced with such a pressing situation, Wiener simply made a mocking gesture at the other party.

The next moment, Jessica suddenly appeared behind him and caught Vina.

Compared to Vena, who was teleported away, the half-demons who chased after them were not so lucky. Even though they had escaped their human bodies, they could not escape gravity and inertia.

Seven muffled thuds, like drumbeats, struck the ground, causing the earth to tremble. Only one of the half-demons, skilled in spellcasting, managed to remain in the air using levitation, thus avoiding the same fate as his companions.

But he soon paid the price for his nonconformity.

"Whoosh!" "Bang!"

Chloe's purifying arrow and Edel's blazing beam cannon each fired in one direction.

The half-demon suspended in mid-air tried his best to resist, but the demon-slaying power from the arrow tore through his defenses, pinning him to the city wall and causing him to dissipate into a cloud of black mist.

On the other hand, the light cannon on the other side, although it was much more powerful, was easily neutralized by the remaining seven half-demons, clearly indicating that they had a very special combination attack method.

Despite taking the initiative in the pursuit, they not only failed to achieve anything but also lost one of their own men, causing Labbel's expression to darken considerably.

"Your Majesty, this—" The city's garrison commander finally mustered his courage and stepped forward to ask.

Before he could speak, a half-demon next to Labbel grabbed his head.

The next moment, the head exploded like a watermelon, splattering brain matter everywhere.

"Ah!" The sudden bloody scene caused a stir among the kingdom's soldiers on the city wall. Many of them subconsciously took a step back, their faces filled with fear and unease.

But Labbel didn't care at all, and instead ordered: "Leave none of them alive."

As soon as Labbel finished speaking, the half-demons around him leaped down from the city wall and rejoined their companions who had chased after them.

The half-demon remaining on the city wall spread its arms, releasing a thick cloud of black mist.

The black mist spread outwards as if it were alive, and the eyes of any kingdom soldiers affected by it instantly turned blood red, and their skin gradually turned black, clearly signs of becoming demons.

As the black mist dissipated, the city gates burst open, and the transformed soldiers roared and charged at the allied forces, brandishing their weapons.

"All troops, prepare to meet the enemy!"

Sigurd raised his spear high and gave the order in a booming voice, and the soldiers behind him raised their weapons in unison.

The war between humans and demons has no room for compromise; it can only end with the complete annihilation of one side.

"General Perez, it's time to make a decision."

Tilissa's seemingly calm tone carried a hint of urging.

Perez gripped his sword hilt tightly, his gaze sweeping over the demon soldiers who should have been his comrades as they rushed out of the city gates, then looking at the allied army fighting the demons in the distance, before finally taking a deep breath.

"The entire army is ordered—assist the hero in slaying the demons!"

Perez resolutely drew his sword and issued the order.

"kill!"

The border troops erupted in deafening shouts and then surged onto the battlefield like a tidal wave.

The addition of the border troops brought the two sides to a stalemate in terms of troop strength, but the half-demons who had infiltrated the army were still not to be underestimated.

Ordinary soldiers could not stop their advance at all, and blood instantly stained the earth red.

The blood produced after the kill nourishes the cursed weapons in their hands.

“This can’t go on,” Viner turned to Jessica. “We need to break up and deal with those half-demons who have the power of demons.”

"And those at the Apostle level?"

"I'll figure it out."

“Good!” Jessica did not ask Viner what his method was, but trusted his decision. She flashed into the enemy formation several times, and each time she made a move, she sent a half-demon several kilometers away, not giving them a chance to join forces.

"Judah's Oath, full power activation!"

With a deep command, the cross pendant wrapped around Vina's wrist was suddenly thrown out.

The Oath of Judah quickly unfolded after returning to its original size, resembling a massive mechanical device that emitted a piercing hum. Immediately afterwards, thirteen lightning spears shot out from within, each locking onto a half-demon apostle.

As the lightning spears flew, the Divine Grace Barrier unfolded, and this vast barrier slowed down the movements of the demons within its range.

If we were to pinpoint the biggest difference between human and demon armies, it would probably be the impact of morale on military formations.

When the human soldiers realized that this incredibly powerful cross was a weapon summoned by the hero to help eliminate the demons, their morale soared.

Conversely, the demons trapped within the barrier faced increased pressure and were forced into a passive position.

The half-demon locked by the thirteen lightning spears was too busy to help himself, while the remaining half-demon were tightly entangled by the army's experts, and none of them were able to free up their hands to break the barrier.

The seven half-demons who were forcibly sent away quickly realized the scheme and wanted to rush back to the battlefield to support their comrades, but Jessica had already prepared a backup plan.