Let the Battle Commence!

Upon issuing the command, K's entire contingent swiftly began to retreat, dissolving seamlessly into the vast ranks of the X Legion soldiers. For these few, slipping unnoticed into the throng was effortless.

Yet Zeus, addressing Apollo and the others by his side, declared coldly, "Spare not a single one."

In an instant, Poseidon, Apollo, and Hades sprang into action. Hades, half-machine himself, possessed a memory and acuity far surpassing his comrades. Facing the powerless Kill members—devoid of their mutant abilities—he became a relentless predator, plucking them from the crowd one by one as effortlessly as an eagle snatching fledglings.

Poseidon then sealed their heads within spheres of water, from which escape was utterly impossible. One by one, the captured Kill operatives began to suffocate, their faces paling with chilling calm.

At last, Hades hurled K aside with brute force. Had K retained his abilities, he would have made Hades pay dearly. But fully purified by the Envoy, K was utterly powerless; survival was now their sole hope.

To the powerless Kill members, Hades was an invincible force. His memory, enhanced by a neural chip, rendered him almost infallible—anyone he met once was forever etched in his mind.

Minutes later, every member who had stood by K's side was delivered, thrown before Zeus by Hades. While Hades' combat prowess might not have dazzled, his formidable intellect and capabilities had earned him a place within the Kill organization.

The entirety of Kill's garrison in the 64th Protected Zone had been rounded up—no one missing, no one extra. K, now acutely aware of Hades' prowess, realized that without the Envoy's mutant power to suppress them, some Kill members might have escaped.

Zeus approached the kneeling members, a sly smile curling his lips. "So, now you see how utterly useless you truly are."

K spat a curse, "You damn bastards."

Zeus' expression hardened to ice. "You're courting death. Don't think that without you, I can't find my friend."

With that, a black dragon cloaked in shadow emerged from the ranks and stood beside Zeus. "Found him."

Zeus laughed disdainfully, eyeing K and his men. "I'm telling you now—you are worthless. I can only send you to hell. If you want heaven, I cannot grant you passage." Then, turning to Hades, he commanded, "Kill them all."

Hades cocked an eyebrow, "Not a single one left alive?"

Zeus' voice grew stern. "Not one."

A wicked grin spread across Hades' face. "Understood."

Hades advanced toward K, who—powerless—gazed defiantly at him. "You may kill us, but Xiao Feng and the others will avenge us. You're just dying a few days later than me. Haha. I don't wish for heaven. My life is stained with bloodshed; I only seek a swift death."

K's words carried the bitter resignation of a man who had lost countless comrades to the allied forces. Even if not for Xiao Feng, he had to consider those who had stood with him for years.

K's order had already sent his men into retreat, swallowed by the mass of X Legion warriors. For these few, infiltrating the enemy ranks was effortless.

Yet Zeus instructed Apollo and the others with icy resolve: "Leave none alive."

Poseidon, Apollo, and Hades moved instantly. Hades, a near-cyborg, possessed memory and recognition skills far superior to his peers. Facing Kill's depowered operatives, he was like a hawk among chicks, plucking them out one by one.

Poseidon encased their heads in watery orbs, rendering escape impossible. One after another, Kill members began to suffocate, their faces turning eerily pale.

Hades hurled K aside with ease. Without his mutant powers, K could only flee.

Hades' memory, augmented by a chip, made him nearly unstoppable; any face he saw once was never forgotten.

Minutes later, all who had guarded K were flung before Zeus. While Hades' combat skills alone might not be overwhelming, his other abilities made him indispensable to Kill.

Every last Kill member guarding the 64th Protected Zone was captured. K now fully grasped Hades' terrifying capability. Without the Envoy's power, some Kill members might have escaped.

Zeus smiled slyly, walking before K and his subordinates on their knees. "How does it feel to realize your utter uselessness?"

K spat, "Damn you bastards."

Zeus' face froze with fury. "You're simply courting death."

With brutal finality, Zeus kicked K in the chest repeatedly—this once-proud Kill leader was humiliated before all.

After delivering several kicks, Zeus wiped his shoe on a handkerchief and instructed the black dragon behind him, "Take me to Ares."

The dragon nodded. "This way…"

Suddenly, the X Legion soldiers could no longer hold back—raising their automatic rifles, they shouted, "You won't leave, you bastards!"

Zeus gazed disdainfully. "Poseidon, kill them."

Poseidon hesitated, "What?"

"Exterminate them all. If they don't witness our strength firsthand, their arrogance will persist."

The Envoy, leaning on his staff, interjected calmly, "No. We cannot slaughter them all. They are human, not vile beasts."

Zeus frowned, unwilling to cross the Envoy. His voice cold but restrained: "Very well. Apollo, cripple them—take an arm each."

Apollo smirked, "I hate doing this."

Raising his right hand, a radiant orb of light formed swiftly, ascending like a miniature sun. It radiated countless dazzling beams.

Apollo's solar energy could deflect bullets; these beams possessed the penetrating force of gunfire.

Instantly, soldiers poised to fire were struck down by the searing rays before they could pull their triggers.

The mighty Sun God, Apollo, had in that moment extinguished scores of X Legion soldiers.

Then, hands in his pockets, Apollo followed Zeus and the others as they departed, leaving behind groans and wails.

Minutes after their departure, a figure plummeted from the sky, crashing with a thunderous impact that gouged a large crater.

As the dust settled, two figures emerged: Tugu and Xiao Feng.

Tugu carried Xiao Feng on his back, while Xiao Feng bore the upgraded Black Angel on his own.

Their arrival was astonishing—they had ridden a missile to reach the zone. Only beings as monstrously powerful as Tugu and Xiao Feng could travel in such a manner. Tugu held the missile; Xiao Feng clung behind him. From Black Whale City, they had been launched directly to the 64th Protected Zone at breathtaking speed.

Xiao Feng's brow furrowed as he surveyed the fallen legion soldiers around them.

Spotting a slumped Kill member, he muttered, "Damn it, we're late again…"

Tugu hurried to K's side, feeling for a pulse. "K still has a pulse."

Xiao Feng leapt to K's side, placing his hands over his heart. His healing mutant power surged rapidly through K's body.

Minutes passed, then K's eyes fluttered open. Blurred but aware, he glimpsed Xiao Feng's silhouette and whispered urgently, "We must flee. The temple's forces have arrived. Among them is an old man with a mutant power that can strip mutants of their abilities. Hurry…"