"Could it be... could it be that they've already..."

Zakaithus' voice trembled as he spoke.

"I really have to thank my good brother for all this! Thank you for revealing so many secrets to me!"

Fike gloated with a smile.

Zakaithus glared at him, his heart boiling with endless regrets and anger.

He wanted nothing more than to tear this silver-haired boy into pieces, but he was helpless at the moment.

"Since you've already said so many things so bluntly, why don't you just tell me the secrets of the Evil God's Headquarters and the hatred you have for the Heavenly King's Palace as well?

"After that, you can consider your life purpose complete!"

As he spoke, Fike continued smiling. If there were any onlookers around, he would have definitely looked and sounded like a villain to them.

"Kid!"

Zakaithus suddenly roared.

"Even to my death, I won't tell you a single word!"

As he said this, Zakaithus suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood and passed out.

Cisco hurried forward to check for his pulse.

"He's already dead!"

"I really didn't expect for the Head of the Northern Headquarters of the Heavenly King's Palace, Zakaithus, to die in such a way."

Fike said calmly and apathetically.

Suddenly, the forest in the distance was set ablaze with flames, catching the group's attention.

They spotted Casey and Iamas running toward them.

"Go! We've lured them here!"

Casey yelled.

As he ran, Fike pressed the Infinite Ring to his forehead.

"Lan Xi! Lan Xi, can you hear me?"

From within the city gates of the Imperial City of Rowei, Lan Xi heard Fike's voice loud and clear in her head.

"I'm here! I can hear you!"

Fike immediately continued after hearing that she had responded

"You can open the city gates! We'll go after the remnants of the Heavenly King's Palace!"

"Okay!"

After she had received his message, Lan Xi turned to General Brad beside her.

"General, we can begin!"

On cue, Brad gave the order, and the city gates opened wide to meet their attackers.

Immediately, 10,000 soldiers charged forward in the direction of the distant flames.

Fike and his group were almost back at the Imperial Capital.

"Fike!"

Seeing the youth, Brad called out excitedly.

"We're back!"

Finally, Fike and his group arrived at the city gates. The army, led by their general, Brad, had gone on ahead into the forest to clash against what remained of the rebels of the Heavenly King's Palace.

Seeing Fike's safe return, Lan Xi pulled him into a tight embrace.

"You're not injured, right? Did you really kill Zakaithus?"

Fike looked into her eyes gently as he replied.

"Zakaithus couldn't bear the loss and committed suicide!"

Meanwhile, Brad's troops had already begun to cross swords with the 100,000 remaining Heavenly King's Palace's troops

The army had seen their leader, Zakaithus, dead on the ground before encountering the defending troops. It stood eerily still, still trapped in the ice that Fike had released.

"Not good! Zakaithus is dead! Let's run!"

"What? Lord Zakaithus is dead?"

"Then how can we fight this war? Let's run!"

As the remaining forces of the Heavenly King's Palace received the news from the frontlines, they were thrown into a panic.

The army had started to run in all directions.

Seeing that the 100,000-strong force had been reduced into a pile of loose sand, Brad rallied his men.

"Brothers! These are the people of the Heavenly King's Palace! Leave no one alive! Come with me!"

As Brad's army continued to march on deeper into the forest, the flames that had been ignited were gradually dissipating.

Watching the slowly disappearing sparks of light, Fike understood that the people from the Heavenly King's Palace had completely given up resisting.

"The 10,000-strong fighting spirit of the army of justice against the 100,000 scattered evil traitors! I believe that anyone watching this would clearly know who the victor will be in their hearts!"

Fike declared confidently.

Lan Xi held on to Fike's arm tightly, looking at the forest that was slowly dimming in the distance as waves of hope rose in her heart.

Brad's army continued to press on, going deeper and deeper into the forest. By now, they had already forced back the remnants of the Heavenly King's Palace to the vicinity of the Fu Shou Village.

The forest was already running red with rivers of blood as Brad's army continued to advance unchallenged, indeed like a hot knife through butter.

Suddenly, a number of Exotic Beasts with huge wings appeared in the sky.

A group of black-robed men rode atop the creatures as well, and they began to retaliate against Brad's army.

The sudden appearance of the aerial infantry had allowed the distance between Brad's army and fleeing Heavenly King's Palace's troops to widen.

Instantly realizing that something was amiss, Brad immediately gave the order to retreat.

Meanwhile, in the forest, next to the corpse of Zakaithus, a familiar voice rang out once more.

"Foolish slave! You actually found a way to mess up such a small matter!"

A black-robed man muttered indifferently as he forced something that looked like a pill down the corpse's throat.

Then, with a raise of his hand, he destroyed the ice on its body.

He carried the corpse and placed it on an Exotic Beast's back before hopping on himself and flying off, leaving the forest behind.

Looking at Fike on the city gates, the man declared.

"Kid Fike! No… Rather, I should call you Mike!

"The next time we meet will be the day you die!"

As he spoke, the Exotic Beast he was riding was already fading from the skyline.

Looking up at the figure of the flying creature in the sky, a bad feeling arose in Fike's heart.

"Could it be that the people from the Evil God's Headquarters are already here?"

Fike muttered to himself.

Brad's army had returned, after having retreated.

Fike hurriedly stopped a soldier at the front to ask.

"Why did you come back in such a sorry state?"

The soldier replied breathlessly.

"We were initially having no problems chasing down the remnants of the Heavenly King's Palace, but suddenly, a group of terrifying fellows riding Exotic Beasts appeared in the sky.

"The tide had turned, so General Brad gave the order to retreat."

Hearing the soldier's answer, Fike didn't make things any more difficult for him and stood aside to allow him to return to the city.

The mighty army slowly retreated back.

After seeing that they had pushed back the army's front line, the circling Exotic Beasts hadn't continued to pursue them.

Instead, they chose to leave.

Fike saw General Brad and asked.

"General Brad, how was it?"

Brad said.

"We're basically unharmed. I'd say we killed more than half of the soldiers from the Heavenly King's Palace!

"But a group of Exotic Beasts appeared out of nowhere and disrupted our formation.

"The forces at the front line weren't enough to fight against these monsters, so I ordered a retreat!"

Hearing Brad's recount, Fike sighed.

"It's good that we're okay! Anyway, our goal has been achieved!"