Two weeks later...
After several days of no attacks on the imperial family forces or their closest allies, Payton was finally at its most tense moment.
At dawn on this day, suddenly, Mortimer Burgess arrived through a wormhole, along with more than 20 high-level Spiritual Saints at his side.
When they appeared over the central area of the imperial capital, inhabitants from all over the city began to panic, fleeing towards the sides of this metropolis.
Those who could fly or had winged beasts simply took off into the skies, fleeing for fear of being involved in a potential conflict.
But these represented the minority of the fleeing people, as most inhabitants could not escape through the skies.
So when Mortimer and his main supporters arrived in this city, the main avenues leading to the local exits were filled with people.
At the same time, the forces in the imperial palace immediately realized that this was the moment they had been waiting for and prepared themselves.
The strongest held their position, planned by Minos while circulating their energies and having their weapons in hand.
The weakest, people who had not been evacuated before, individuals between levels 60 and 70, retreated underground, where the imperial palace had solid defenses, even in the absence of the arrays sent to the other posts.
Meanwhile, individuals between levels 70 and 76 were positioned together, prepared to fight as a group and somehow help the more than 60 high-level individuals who would fight there for the imperial house.
Amid this tense place, with the spiritual energy in the surroundings fluctuating violently due to the many powerful presences, Minos floated in front of Isabella and the empress.
Beside him were the imperial family's supreme elder, two Gray Clouds Sect elders at the same level as the regent, and two sect masters who had attended the imperial call.
Gloria and Ruth stood next to Madeline and Isabella, as well as some important descendants of the Edwardstone family, protected by the many high-level Spiritual Saints in the surrounding area.
When he stood at the same height as the people in Mortimer's group, he stopped about 200 meters away from them and looked at them silently for a moment.
Then Minos asked. "What are you doing here, Mortimer? Why are you standing next to the Mountains Sect master and patriarchs of local families?"
Minos looked at each of those men who were not from the Saints Killing Sect, causing those individuals to feel goosebumps running through their bodies.
Mortimer saw those level 79 individuals standing silently next to Minos and sighed. "Looks like you've already taken this city, huh? Next time I plan something, I'll do it like you. First, I'll make a relevant woman open her legs and then easily conquer her family.
It's much more efficient than fighting, hehe."
The people in the surrounding area felt offended that Isabella was attacked like that, while Minos looked at that opponent with anger in his eyes.
Then he said. "Looks like you're not worried about hiding your rebellion, eh? Speaking of Her Highness like that would guarantee you death as a traitor to the state in other situations!
But apparently, you're here to fight, so it doesn't matter anymore..."
Mortimer smiled but didn't bother to speak to Minos.
Instead, he looked at the experts beside this fellow and spoke. "Old fellows, today I am here to give you an option. Put down your weapons and join me on this journey ahead of us.
I will become the rightful ruler of the Flaming Empire and bring glory to our organizations!
All this will come at the cost of those people's lives..." He pointed in the direction where the core of the imperial family was, near Ruth and Gloria. "And that damned bastard." Mortimer referred to Minos.
He continued. "We don't need any unnecessary killing. Just take oaths and leave this place. I'll deal with all the filth alongside my group.
At the end of the day, we will have a new empire without having its foremost leaders killed, making life easier for our natural enemies.
The four territories to the north!"
"Mortimer, are you going to rebel so openly? Have you no shame?" The regent shouted. "His Majesty will destroy you when he finds out about this!"
"His Majesty?" Mortimer laughed. "Harold is finished! His life is in the hands of those women of the Flowers Kingdom!
And even if he were here, do you think I would have any fear of him? He's only a level 80 Spiritual Sage!
I can overcome him with my divine lineage!"
The men beside Minos clenched their fists in anger, seeing that this man was a complete traitor, not just an idiot blinded by power.
Minos then said. "There is no use in dialoguing with them. They are here to fight and will do it one way or another.
These people have hope that they will survive and be victorious...
Let's show them how wrong they are!"
At that moment, Minos no longer waited to dialogue with those individuals and activated his 8th technique, causing his grandiose Soul Avatar to emerge from his body.
Space and Time Avatar!
When he did so, everyone in the surroundings felt the mighty power of Emperor Stuart as two level 76 Spiritual Saints from the Gray Clouds Sect flew toward the avatar's space of influence.
Minos would not be able to steal the cultivation levels of those people next to Mortimer, so some of the men who would do him this service immediately flew towards him to fulfill their purpose.
While this was happening very quickly, everyone in the surrounding area, who had never personally seen or felt Minos' current forces, opened their mouths in surprise.
That was particularly true for Mortimer, who, in that instant, contorted his face as he noticed something sinister about Minos.
Even before the others in the area showed their Soul Avatars, Minos was already at level 71, as his abilities rose to the maximum.
But only Spiritual Sages could realize the significance of this besides Minos!
"How can that be?" The man at a distance from there, observing what was about to happen, exclaimed as he noticed an area of spatial stabilization in front of him.
Mortimer noticed that too, and as Minos laughed in his direction, he tried to open a crack in space to confirm his feelings.
He moved and attacked the space with one of his open palms.
However, nothing happened except for the energy in the surroundings moving because of his powerful movement.
"Damn it!
That wretch can trap me on the battlefield!" He exclaimed in shock as he put the ability of the special domain of the Minos Soul Avatar to the test.
Minos had control over space and time in his domain. Because of this, he could suppress spatial manipulations within the range of this technique!
"Haha, Mortimer, you better be prepared to fight.
Today, you won't run away even if you want to!" Minos shouted, startling everyone on the battlefield, as he had already moved to deliver the first attack shortly after sending the two level 76 individuals away.
He was already at level 72 because of the carelessness of those people impressed by Mortimer's shocked reaction!
In this situation, they could no longer do anything to reverse the terror about to happen!
...
