The Punishment Legion was the Holy City's most elite force. Every serpentman was a blood descendant of the Stewart family, possessing strength at least at the morning star level and above.
Leading the Punishment Legion was none other than the Stewart family's esteemed Second Elder, and there were no issues with his command whatsoever.
If wielded properly, such an army could indeed turn the tide of the current crisis — at the very least, it could stabilize the front lines.
Yet a persistent sense of dread had been gnawing at Agnes's heart, refusing to dissipate.
"What's going on?"
Agnes climbed onto the elevated platform and spotted the Punishment Legion almost instantly. The aura radiating from these Punishment Guards was far more intimidating than in previous encounters, and she couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief.
"Protective Formation prepared!"
"Initiating formation input! Prepare to activate the Holy City's Defensive Array!"
"Alchemy Cannon second-stage preparation complete! Ready to fire at any moment!"
Command after command was relayed in rapid succession, while a layer of sigils — designed to permit free passage through the Holy City's magical formation — was densely inscribed onto the Punishment Legion's armor.
"Charge!" From the very center of the city defense formation, a massive golden banner swayed, and a gentle yet resolute voice rang out.
"Punishment Legion! Move out!!!"
At the forefront, a white-haired elder let out a roar, and the aura exclusive to a sixth-rank powerhouse suddenly erupted from his body!
This was the Stewart family's bloodline — the unique bloodline power of the Three-Headed Serpent, a sixth-rank creature!
The sheer force of it caused many of the defenders atop the walls to feel their minds tremble.
"No! Something's wrong!" Only now did Agnes realize something was amiss. Her pupils dilated sharply, and even her voice turned shrill: "Second Uncle's aura — how has it grown so much stronger? Even using forbidden techniques, this shouldn't be possible. Unless it's..."
She screamed: "Be caref—!!!"
But it was already too late.
"Punishment's power! Walk with me!" The Punishment Legion soldiers roared in unison, their bodies subtly swelling as terrifying and malevolent energy erupted in an instant.
Boom!
Countless formation arrays blazed to life, funneling everyone's power into a single torrent and channeling it into the Second Elder's hands.
"Thunder of Punishment!" The Second Elder bellowed, and an attack brimming with devastating destructive force crashed directly into the city gate!
Crack! Crack! Black lightning swept across the surface, blazing with blinding radiance.
The guards atop the gate were carbonized in their confusion, ultimately reduced to ashes and then to the most minuscule of atoms.
Following that, the Holy City's gates themselves crumbled piece by piece under the Thunder of Punishment's assault, vast numbers of protective runes collapsing!
"No! Don't!" Agnes clutched her head as tears flew from her eyes involuntarily.
The Holy City's defensive formations were terrifyingly powerful — there were even arrays personally set up by beings who had comprehended the Rules. Even the Punishment Legion shouldn't have been able to destroy them in a single blow. This was precisely why the Holy City had dared to stand against the horde of Gluttony Beasts!
But now, the Punishment Legion had gained the Defensive Formation's approval, effectively destroying it from within. In an instant, the Holy City had lost its greatest protection.
What's more, the central defensive formation had already been nearly wiped out in the enemy's earlier assault. Every single one of those soldiers had been elites of the Stewart family! They were Agnes's kin! Among them was even her father, the patriarch of the Stewart family.
"In the name of Gluttony! Kill!"
The traitorous Second Elder laughed maniacally, and his entire body suddenly exploded, transforming into a terrifying Three-Headed Serpent. Irregular scales covered its body, each one laced with tangled, twisting blood vessels — a horrifying sight to behold.
The defecting Punishment Legion immediately turned on their still-stunned allies, and screams erupted everywhere as blood and fire raged.
"Why? Why?!"
Agnes rushed to the front line. She had been lucky — the sector she was responsible for wasn't the most critical section, so the damage there was relatively limited.
But with the most vital Protective Formation destroyed, there was no longer any suspense about the outcome of this battle.
"Why, Second Elder? Why would you betray the honor of our Guardian Family?"
Agnes's eyes brimmed with tears, still unable to fully believe what was happening.
"Why?" The Three-Headed Serpent's vertical pupils flickered with mockery and madness.
"The Guardian Family? Heh... Does playing watchdog for the Myriad Serpents sound like fun to you? Bound by the shackles of bloodline limitations, never able to break through for an entire lifetime — just some lackey guarding someone else's door. I've had enough of it long ago!"
Hiss!
The Three-Headed Serpent roared, and a massive number of serpentfolk who couldn't dodge in time were devoured. Rings of blood-red energy surged through its blood vessels to every part of its body, making it ever more sinister and powerful — it was even beginning to approach the peak of the sixth rank, giving off the feeling of pushing toward the seventh.