Lezlie and I left Hiroshi and Babu behind and pursued Jixus. On the way, Lezlie told me all about what had happened and how we were going to save the king. Fortunately, due to the false news I had spread, there were no elite soldiers or epic in the castle, and even many of the regular soldiers were absent. This was excellent news for us. As we ran, Lezlie turned to me and asked,

"Ryuu, How did you manage to convince so many people that there was an attack?"

"I knew that fighting wouldn't be enough to save you guys when I saw you getting caught. So I disguised myself as a soldier and used their communication devices to spread false information. The news was delivered directly to the First Epic. And now, as you can see, we're here."

"It wasn't easy at first, but I couldn't leave you there on your own. After all, we're all a team, aren't we?"

Lezlie smiled and said, "Yes, we are."

As we continued, a few soldiers appeared in front of us. Without slowing down, I quickly took them down with my fists. We headed up the stairs ahead, and although I couldn't remember exactly where they led, I knew they would lead us outside since there was a light at the end. I didn't say anything to Lezlie, and we kept climbing.

Eventually, we reached a small balcony of the castle. Looking down, I saw something incredible - hundreds, perhaps thousands of people were gathered outside the castle, waiting for the king to give a speech. Lezlie also saw them and said, "Ryuu, it would be difficult for us to find Jixus if he tries to blend in with the crowd."

"I don't think he'll do that," I replied. "He'll most likely be in a visible location."

As we conversed, the King emerged from the grand balcony in the center of the castle and greeted his subjects. And the one with the King was Jixus, the sorcerer we were looking for. People didn't seem surprised that Jixus, an elite soldier, was at the King's side. For a moment I thought that people were also mesmerized, but they seemed quite ordinary to me. After the audience's applause for the King had subsided, he began to speak.

"My dear people, I have gathered you here today to discuss the impending war. The Naiton lineage, who have inhabited this land for centuries, and the First Epic will soon be engaged in battle. As your King, it is my duty to ensure the safety and future of our kingdom," He added. "That is why I have decided to stand shoulder to shoulder with the first Epic and attack the bloodline of the Naiton. The more those barbarians multiply, the closer we are to death. I ask you to support me in my endeavor. Together we will defend our kingdom against the enemies!"

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Following the King's speech, the people gazed at him oddly, their dissatisfaction with the First Epic's bullying and the elite soldiers palpable. They could not comprehend why the King would allow such atrocities to continue. However, their fear of the King prevented them from voicing their opinions.

After a moment of silence, Lezlie suddenly shouted out to the crowd.

"People of the First Kingdom! I plead with you to heed my words; the King is being controlled by a sorcerer! Every word he speaks now is against his will. Please do not listen to him; there are those within the Kingdom controlling him!"

Jixus, who was next to the king, suddenly shouted at us from the other balcony, "How dare you! Disobeying the King's order means execution!"

We may have been far away, but my eyes could see that Jixus was not happy that we were here. It was as if a great uneasiness covered his face. Without hesitation, I stepped forward and spoke firmly, "Jixus, these people have a right to know the truth and you will pay for what you have done."

"Everyone here knows the consequences of disobedience and I cannot disobey the king's order. But I will take great pleasure in punishing disobedient people like you," Jixus replied.

Despite their misgivings, no one in the crowd dared to speak out against the King's orders, and the King himself was powerless under the control spell. Jixus then ordered a dozen soldiers to capture us, but before they could reach our position, Jixus launched his next attack with explosive spells, and we jumped off the balcony to escape the incoming explosive spells.

As we jumped, the balcony behind us exploded with Jixus' magic. As we jumped, we hit the big glass window in front of us and we managed to enter the palace safely again. But the soldiers hadn't given up on us yet, and soon they appeared in front of us.

"We don't have time for this. We need to keep moving," I said to Lezlie.

"You go after Jixus. I'll hold them off," Lezlie replied.

"But there are too many of them," I protested.

"You've always defeated our enemies, Ryuu. This time is no different. Go after Jixus and do what you have to do," Lezlie urged me on.

Shaking my head, I left Lezlie to find Jixus and put an end to what he was doing.

I did what she said and picked up my pace. While soldiers kept appearing in front of me, I didn't face as many as the ones chasing us. So, I made my way through the castle, climbing several floors, until I got close to Jixus.

As I turned the corner, I knew I would face his spells head-on. Jixus noticed me coming and unleashed his explosive magic to stop me. Dodging the spells was no easy feat, as the space was narrow, and the walls were solid, leaving me with no option to tear them apart and use them against him.

Jixus continued to hurl his spells at me, and I tried to close the distance between us while avoiding the blasts. Eventually, I reached Jixus, grabbed him by the waist, and leaped off the balcony with him. Jixus appeared taken aback but continued to attack me in mid-air. Meanwhile, I was hitting him back with my fists.