Chapter 388: The mouth betrayed its owner.

The accusation hurled by the grand elder was the kind that could end clans. Gasps rippled like a wave, thousands of mouths opening in shock as the big screens magnified the moment. The elder had his people controlling the cameras, all public communication systems and the big screens,

His words were replayed over and over, as if the crowd was watching an exciting drama.

Trinity opened her mouth to utter a grand lie, but what came out was: "Because I wanted you dead you old fucker!"

A huge collective gasp erupted from five hundred thousand throats.

The grand elder froze. He expected the oath sap to force Trinity to reveal the truth, but he didn’t expect to be called an ’old fucker!’

Conversations broke out in frantic bursts, whispers of scandal traveled like loose threads. Amid the uproar, those with small half-life beasts that were allowed into the stadium at a cost, seemed not to notice something abnormal. The beasts which had been bounding with energy, were now lying listless in their arms.

Trinity slapped both hands over her mouth, her eyes bulging. What did I just say?! Panic hitting maximum levels, she lunged forward, grabbed the silver microphone, and yelled, "Wait! No! I meant I did it because I wanted Sabrina to be labeled a murderer and executed!"

A roar of shock came from the crowd. Some people were already on their feet, screaming for justice.

A loud, thunderous hiccup echoed through the stadium speakers. The Truth Sap was working hard.

"Wait, that’s not what I meant. I mean, I wanted the Kaelion clan to be ruined."

Another uproar came from the crowd.

Panicking, Trinity turned to run. Her heel caught on the edge of the velvet rug, and she went tumbling backward, crashing headfirst into a row of gold-plated chairs.

"Goch! Open the door! Get us out of here!" she shrieked into the microphone that she had dropped, while scrambling to her feet.

Gregory Goch sprinted to the reinforced glass doors and yanked on the handle. Nothing. He slammed his shoulder against it. It didn’t budge an inch. "It’s locked from the outside! The door is locked!"

In his box, Achilles was laughing so hard he had to hold his stomach, tears streaming down his face. "Oh, my ribs! She actually admitted it on live television! And they are replaying her words over and over. This is better than I expected."

"Guards! GUARDS! BREAK down the door!" Trinity screamed, beating her fists against the glass.

No matter how loud she screamed, not one guard appeared. Arrow had already cleared them out, twenty minutes prior. Trinity was trapped in a glass bowl with the whole world watching her melt down.

The Grand Elder raised his voice, his tone turning cold and echoing across the stadium. "Citizens of the new world! This ’Divine Maiden’ is nothing but poison in silk clothes! She has committed countless atrocities, framed the innocent, killed them, destroyed countless lives for selfish reasons. She has abused her power.

She has ruined the organization of Soul maidens. Once upon a time, they healed all humans at no cost because the Sanctum paid their wages. Today, Soul maidens only heal the rich, for sums that would make you weep.

She has experimented illegally on young Soul maidens to force them to awaken their bloodlines before they come of age. Trinity Johnson has also been selling Soul maidens from poor families to the rich. To selfish men looking to improve their bloodlines and genes by sleeping with these gifted young women."

The roar of the crowd grew louder and louder. For each accusation, evidence was displayed in big screens. Papers with other evidence were dropped into the crowd by drones.

The grand elder continued passionately. "When the last beast tide came, she ordered the Soul maidens to only save the rich, and help the poor when despair was at its highest. Those who refused to obey her orders were shot, imprisoned, or given missions beyond the veil, from which they didn’t return. She is unfit to wear the crown of the Divine Soul maiden. Raise your hands if you think I am right."

For a moment, it seemed like nobody would dare to raise their hand. But the grand elder had planted at least three hundred people in the crowd. From the high borns to the low borns. Once they raised their hands, others followed, until the majority were in agreement. Eventually, every hand was raised, because those who didn’t raise their hands were afraid to be labeled co-conspirators.

Seraphine_ who was a master at reading which way the wind blew_ jumped straight over the stadium railing, landing lightly in the ring with her arms raised.

"He speaks the truth!" Seraphine yelled into a nearby floating camera. "Trinity tortured us at the academy. Dozens died beyond the veil for nothing! And the Soul Maidens who died on the Island before the great floods? She left them there on purpose to be eaten by beasts because most came from poor low-born backgrounds. She is evil!"

That was the final straw. The noble seating area exploded into utter chaos. Some of them had daughters that had died in the academy. Now, they were wondering if their children had died from the reasons they had been given.

"Dethrone her!"

"Strip her of her divine title!"

"Drag her to the execution platform! Send her to trial!"

"Marry her to me, I will teach her a lesson." shouted a confused merchant in the back rows.

While the stadium descended into a shouting match, Leif sat quietly in his corner of the high stands. He looked down at the arena floor. The Veyrot gas he had secretly vented through the stadium’s cooling vents had done its job beautifully. Half-life beasts were slumping over. Elliot’s Flame-Maned Tiger was snoozing peacefully in the ring, letting out tiny kitten-like snores.

Across the arena, Ava gave a subtle, sharp nod to Tyrese.

Now.

Tyrese didn’t waste a second. He pulled out a heavy alien iron rifle, aimed straight at the glass of the VIP booths, and pulled the trigger.

Three loud bangs exploded first. Sparks flew, glass shattered, and scream after scream tore through the air. The crowd, already hyperventilating over Trinity’s confession, completely lost its collective mind.

"Assassins! Run for your lives!"

"Stampede!"

Leif smirked. "Ah, right on schedule."

All around the stadium, under the bleachers, inside the decorative statues, and above the main gates_ the spatial Stasis Prisms he had hidden shattered simultaneously.

A sound like tearing metal ripped through the sky above the open-air stadium.

"Look at the sky!" Yuda shrieked.

A horde of ferocious King-Rank Beasts, crashed down into the crowded stands like meteors.

"Run!" Kirsten shouted at the people. None of them knew where these beasts had come from. They just knew it was not part of the plan. They would die too, at this rate.

A giant, six-legged Bear slammed right onto the concession stand, crushing three hundred roasted beef skewers and sending hot sauce flying everywhere. "My food!" a woman screamed before running for his life as the bear roared, swiping its huge paws at anything that moved.

A Sky-Rending Vulture, as big as a small house, swooped down and snatched a pompous wealthy young master, dangling him upside down as he shrieked, "Do you know who my father is?! Put me down, you oversized chicken!" The vulture simply squawked and dropped him onto the ground, snapping his neck.

Nobles were tripping over their own clothes, fat elders were suddenly sprinting faster than Olympic runners, and some people were walking over people’s heads just to cut in line at the narrow exit doors.

"Get out of my way! I’m Elizabeth Goch!"

"I don’t care if you’re the Emperor, move your big butt!"

Amidst the absolute bedlam_ people screaming, beasts roaring, soul maidens trying to save people,—Leif casually leaned back in his seat.

He reached over to the abandoned chair next to him, picked up a half empty, buttery bag of popcorn, and tossed a handful into his mouth.

Listening to the sweet sound of panic and chaos, Leif chewed happily and smiled. "This....this is all music to my ears. And it is just the beginning."