It's so hard being a hero!

But his meaning was already quite clear.

The knights and priests all nodded.

At the palace gate, the royal knights brought by Griffin were also looking up at the battle in the sky, each with a tense and apprehensive expression on their face.

To be honest, although Vic has been temporarily suspended by the old emperor, he is still their superior.

Griffin was a respected senior figure to them, and they never expected that the two would become adversaries.

Leo stood at the front of the crowd, also looking up, his gaze following the two figures moving through the clouds, without saying a word.

He knew that Vic's victory or defeat would determine the course of today's standoff.

Chapter 101 Head-to-Head

The battle in the sky continues.

Vic's holy sword was wrapped in golden flames, and with each swing, it carried a dazzling, scorching wave of air, leaving trails in the clouds.

If this battle in the Holy Realm were to take place directly in the capital, the capital would likely be reduced to ruins within half an hour.

As a veteran holy warrior, Griffin swung his great hammer so powerfully that it made Vic's holy sword tremble uncontrollably.

But the two remained evenly matched.

But it's obvious to anyone with eyes that Griffin's speed has started to slow down.

It wasn't because Griffin was older, but because Vic was inherently stronger.

"Senior, your movements have slowed down."

Vic deflected Griffin's warhammer with a single sword strike, then took a few steps back to regain his footing in mid-air before speaking.

Griffin's hands were trembling.

Such intense combat takes a huge toll on strength and physical energy.

He was nearly eighty years old. Although Saint Realm experts have longer lifespans, it would still have some impact.

He knew perfectly well that if he continued to drag this out, he wouldn't last even a stick of incense.

"Since that's the case, let's finish this quickly."

Griffin took a deep breath, gripped the hammer handle tightly with both hands, and his earthy yellow battle aura frantically gathered around him, making him look like a volcano about to erupt.

Seeing this, Vic also dropped his relaxed expression, gripped his sword with both hands, and golden-orange flames condensed on the blade into a slender blade of light.

The battle between the two resumed, this time with even greater energy fluctuations, sounding like thunder.

Finally, a yellowish-brown hammer shadow and a fiery red sword light collided in mid-air, unleashing a deafening roar that shattered a large portion of the surrounding clouds.

After the light faded, Griffin's figure fell from the sky and crashed heavily onto the square in front of the palace gate, creating a crater in the ground.

The knights of the Royal Knights were at a loss for how to react to this scene.

After all, both sides were their superiors.

Griffin slowly got up, using his warhammer to support his body, kneeling on one knee, a trickle of blood seeping from the corner of his mouth.

Vic also descended from the sky, looked at his opponent, and did not continue to attack.

"Senior Griffin, you've lost."

Griffin looked up at Vic's serious face, gave a wry smile, and slowly stood up.

"Hey! You've really improved, or maybe I'm just getting old and can't keep up with you young people anymore."

He slammed his warhammer on the ground, withdrew his fighting spirit, and took a step back.

“I lost. You may go in, but I hope you won’t go too far. Otherwise, I will risk my life to protect His Majesty and comfort him,” Griffin said in a deep voice.

His decision brought a sigh of relief to everyone present.

As Griffin moved aside, the Royal Knights behind him also moved aside.

Upon seeing this, Archbishop Clem immediately led his people from the Vatican forward.

"Let's go and capture the heretics."

And so, the Papacy poured into the palace.

Leo and the others followed closely behind. Vic sheathed his holy sword and stayed by Leo's side, protecting him.

However, just as they were about to arrive at the old emperor's palace, something unexpected happened.

A loud voice suddenly echoed throughout the entire capital.

This is a magical amplification spell; the sound, amplified by magic, covers the entire city.

"People of the Delos Empire, I am your Emperor Augustus III."

"Crown Prince Leo intends to rebel. I, as the Emperor, hereby declare that Crown Prince Leo shall be stripped of all his powers immediately and listed as a traitor. All citizens of my Empire have the duty to arrest him."

These words immediately caused an uproar among the crowd who had just entered the palace.

The nobles and officials looked at each other, their expressions varied.

Military leaders, including Karen, drew their weapons and pointed them at Leo and his group.

"Did you all hear that? His Majesty has personally given the order: Leo is a traitor! Seize him at once!"

Karen shouted angrily.

Some radical nobles, military leaders, and soldiers belonging to the empire hesitated for a moment before immediately surrounding Leo and his group.

Those so-called neutrals quickly retreated, because in their eyes, they did not want to participate in the power struggle between the crown prince and the emperor, as the risks were too great.

For example, the imperial prime minister was neutral at this time. Although he had the most real power besides the emperor, he did not help anyone.

Because he felt that something was off about this matter.

When Leo heard his father's order, he showed no sign of panic.

He looked at the soldiers who had surrounded him, and then at Karen's smug face.

"General Karen, do you really believe that it was His Majesty's own will?"

Karen snorted coldly.

"How could His Majesty's words be false?"

When Leo heard the other party say that, his expression immediately became strange.

"Hehe, you know perfectly well what's going on."

Karen's expression changed slightly, but she quickly regained her tough look.

"Enough talk, take him down."

However, just as the imperial soldiers were about to step forward, a golden light suddenly descended from the sky, casting a golden curtain of light in front of Leo.

Complex magical patterns flowed across the light screen, radiating an intense heat that kept people at bay.

Karen and the others were forced to retreat repeatedly.

"Who?" Karen roared.

Then a figure slowly floated down from the palace wall.

It's frey, of course.

Frey stood on high ground with her arms crossed, looking coldly at Karen and the others.

“I, on behalf of the deceased Imperial Warrior, Su Lan, support Crown Prince Leo.”

"Do you intend to go against the will of that great hero?"

Her voice wasn't loud, but the aura of a Saint Realm expert made everyone present feel their breath catch in their throats.

Karen's expression changed, but she remained sharp-tongued.

"Madam, this is an order personally issued by His Majesty. Are you going to openly defy it?"

"His Majesty's orders?"

Frey chuckled softly, her gaze passing over Karen and looking towards the depths of the palace.

"Can the words spoken by someone controlled by drugs be called an imperial edict?"

Karen opened her mouth, wanting to refute, but found herself speechless.

He could feel the pressure of a Saint Realm expert emanating from Frey gradually being released, like an invisible mountain pressing down on his head, making his knees feel weak.

"Besides..."

Frey's gaze swept over the restless military officers present, and she said in a calm tone.

"Even your Grand Marshal Felix hasn't come. Do you think you have a chance of winning?"

Upon hearing this, Karen's expression completely changed.

He glanced around instinctively.

They then realized that their military leader, Felix, had indeed not appeared.

This discovery instantly chilled him to the bone.

Grand Marshal Felix was the supreme commander of the Imperial Army, the old emperor's most trusted man, and the biggest supporter of this war.

If he doesn't intervene, the military will lose its strongest pillar.

"No need to look anymore, he's currently a guest at the Pope's place," Frey reminded him.

These words made Karen's face even more unpleasant.

What exactly do you mean?

Karen's voice was already somewhat unsteady.

"What I mean is, your military can't continue this charade today."

Frey's smile was faint, but in Karen's eyes, it carried an undisguised warning.

Meanwhile, deep within the palace, in the emperor's bedroom.

The old emperor sat in a chair with a magical mirror floating in front of him, showing everything that was happening at the palace gate.