Crisis

The envoy from the Blood Fiend Empire soon arrived in the Fallen Angel Empire...

To everyone's surprise, this envoy brought only two words—Emperor Leizen's exact words: "Submit!"

This was not some humiliating treaty involving ceding territory or paying reparations. It was a true ultimatum of national extinction.

No one in the Fallen Angel Empire—the Empress, the ministers, or even the common people—could possibly accept such terms.

After relaying Leizen's original words, the envoy offered two more sentences of "explanation." It was true that the Blood Fiend and Fallen Angel Empires had once had an alliance agreement, but that agreement had been signed between Emperor Leizen and Regent Heiyao. Now that Heiyao's regime had been overthrown by "rebels," the alliance was automatically void. Shea had only one path: submission. If she refused, the Fallen Angel Empire would be reduced to ashes, and the Lucifer Royal Family would face extermination.

This provocation and threat, leaving almost no room for maneuver, filled the entire Fallen Angel Empire with fury. In particular, Leizen had characterized Shea's replacement of Heiyao as a rebellious act by "anti-government armed forces," which was equivalent to refusing to recognize Shea as the Empress already acknowledged by the Fallen Angel Sword. If they could endure even such terms, the Empire's dignity and unity would vanish into thin air. Thus, Shea did not hesitate in the slightest and directly drove the envoy out.

In truth, the so-called envoy had merely been going through the motions. Everyone could see that the Blood Fiend Emperor's true purpose was crystal clear: war.

It really was war!

Lentes, who had previously appeared so confident that Leizen was merely bluffing, was left speechless. Oliver, Stiller, and the others were also horrified. But the most important thing now was not self-reproach or shame—it was facing the immense