Wicked Reincarnation

"Lu!" Mil charged at the slowly closer coming figures of Lu and Zayn. Mil felt the arrows above his head paving him the way. Mil wanted to quickly help Lu to kill Zayn, so Lu and Mil could hurry back to Skyla.

Hearing his name, Lu's eyes widened to see Mil running towards him. That was when Lu saw the arrows of Skyla. Before Lu, was the gate and in front of the gate was Zayn. Dark, black strings flowed out of Zayn's creating ghosts.

"This is my ace, I didn't want to use it because it harms everyone but- AHH!" Zayn couldn't speak further. His power was already hard to control.

Up until now Lu and Zayn were evenly matched but because Holn and Lia managed to slip past the entrance while Zayn was distracted, Zayn got furious and resorted to this ace of his.

The moment Zayn used his ace, Lu was flung back and it was hard to get closer because of the black threads.

So Lu had to stand four metres away from Zayn. Sprinkling his holy water all around him, Lu tried to think of a way to stop Zayn. But Lu was always lazy, so his brain was naturally too and it took him a while to figure out what to do. Exactly at that moment, Mil came. Zayn was too caught up in his power he didn't notice Mil's arrival.

"Mil," Lu finally had a bit more energy coming back, "I'll water the path for you. You can kill him."

Mil's face blanked for a second, "Why don't you just aim your house at him?"

"Because," Lu did what Mil suggested and the black strings repelled the holy water, "That's why."

"Got it, let's do as you say," Mil examined the threads. They'd definitely hurt stabbing into his body but Mil had no time to waste.

The sooner they got rid of this power, the sooner everyone else could be freed.

"Now," Mil shouted and Lu covered Mil by providing support.

The ghosts around Mil disappeared. Zayn finally noticed Mil but it was already too late.

Stab.

Mil stabbed Zayn right in his heart. It took a few seconds but Zayn's power disappeared and so did the light in his eyes.

Zayn's last thought was that he just wanted to help Min. Just wanted to be acknowledged, so why? Why?

With despair looming over him, Zayn passed away.

But Mil and Lu had no time to appreciate their work.

"Did Lia come through?" Mil needed a rundown of the situation.

"Yeah, Yano, Lia and Holn managed to pass through."

"Ok, Lu come with m-" then Mil saw it.

As he turned towards Skyla he saw her collapsed form. In an instant, he heard her cry for him and stumbled towards her.

He knew it was too late, so he said, "Lu go after them! Into the palace!"

These were the last words and order of Mil. But Lu didn't know that because he didn't see what Mil saw and only nodded.

When Mil ran back, Lu entered the palace. He could never know that at that moment, no even prior, he should've worked harder and made better decisions. He should've followed Mil. A regret that belatedly crept in.

Lu passed the gate and saw Yano fighting with Timo. The gate behind him closed as Yano noticed him and exclaimed, "Just go through."

Lu looked at Timo but was too lazy to say something.

Surprisingly, Timo just let him through as he wrestled with Yano on the ground and exclaimed, "Take back your words!"

"No, I only said the truth! My wifey-"

Lu didn't even want to know what ridiculous fight they were doing.

***

Meanwhile in the palace. The throne room.

"Maria, what is the meaning?" Min's deep voice was forcibly suppressing the rage he felt. On the throne chair, Min sat overbearing, arrogant and threatening while before him Maria knelt. Her eyes darted towards Sal who stood next to Min holding his eye.

"Like I've said," Maria tried to sound calm and confident but her trembling fingers gave her away. She might die at this rate, "I won't heal him or any of your people."

"You old hag! Just heal me!" The violent life force of Skyla stopped Sal from regenerating and it started to slowly spread across his body.

He needed to stop and purge it. But Maria that healing hag refused! Did she know what it meant?

"Is that so?"

Sal instantly flinched as Min raised out of his chair. Standing so close to the Ghost King, Sal could once again feel the Ghost King's superior air suffocating him. Especially the uncontrollable emotions of Min that swung in the air with each step he took towards Maria.

"So, I'm assuming you are turning against me?"

Maria already threw her life away so there was no use hiding it, "I've never been on your side, Min."

Sal gasped. This was the first time Maria called the Ghost King by his name.

"Never?"

A heavy force pressed Maria and Sal down onto the ground.

"I see. Now it makes sense. Everything does."

Min's tremendous anger forcefully opened every pore of Maria's body to seep in and brutally dissect her from the inside.

Maria tried to raise her head to glare at Min but it was impossible to do so. Doom loomed over her. A big cross already signed the deal over her head.

Min stopped before Maria, "If only he was here. Then we could take her power."

"Your highness, should I call him?" Sal withstood the pressure as it lightened and stood up.

He wanted an excuse to leave this place. When the Ghost King was angry it was a wonder if anyone could survive.

"No need. There's no need for her anymore."

It was coming. Maria knew her end was in sight. Yet, she didn't want to die. Since she could only heal, her power was useless for fighting. The force on Maria disappeared. Min grabbed her by the neck. His grip tightened and Maria's airways were cut off.

"I… know," a last desperate attempt of Maria actually awoke curiosity in Min.

"You know what?"

Maria tapped Min's hand. For a second, Min thought. His eyes flashed and he let Maria go. Even if she retaliated, he could easily kill her within a second.

"Say. What do you know?" Min watched Maria gagging on the ground.

"I know of a way…" Maria could still vibrantly feel Min's grip on her. Her eyes shook and her body was violently ejecting any fluid. It was a traumatic experience to be cornered like this by Min.

Just how could Lia go through all of this, endure and come back stronger? How could she survive all of this mentally? Or maybe Maria was just exceptionally weak.

"Don't waste my time and say it properly," Min once again closed in on Maria and crouched.

He matched her height and grabbed her by the hair to make her look at him, "Spit it out already or just die now."

"There…. There is an easy way to go through all of this…"

Min couldn't follow, "What are you saying?"

"Promise you won't kill me and I'll tell you a secret of the hidden families. To completely destroy them."

Min laughed and gripped Miria tighter. She wailed underneath the force.

"You're now switching sides again? Just a bit of suffering and you're this weak? But how can I trust you so easily?"

Maria pointed at Sal, "He can verify."

"W-What? Me? Old hag what are you blabbering about?"

"Oh? How?" Min became intrigued.

"Sal has the catalyst from the hidden families…"

Min looked at Maria as if she was pitiful.

"You want me to believe this?"

Of course, Min wouldn't believe it so easily.

"He has Skyla's lifeforce in his eyes. Retracting that and putting it to use will act as the golden cores of the elders. Plus you can then take away all of the hidden families' life forces because it'll belong to you now."

Min froze on the spot and thought properly. His gaze wandered to Sal who backed up, being so intensively stared at, "Interesting."

"Y-Your highness…" Sal didn't know why but he had a bad feeling, especially as Min approached him.

As Min got gradually further away, Maria took the chance to escape. Of course, everything she said was utter nonsense. How could something like that even be possible? The important thing was that Min fell for it and that was enough.

Maria was almost at the door while Min raised his hand to touch Sal's eye. Sal had a feeling that if Min poked his eye there was definitely no way it could recover again.

Then Sal paled, "Your highness, please, you're going to kill me!"

Green light emitted from Min's fingers. He was using his lifeforce. If Min's lifeforce entered Sal, he'd definitely die. Sal panicked.

His eyes darted around and he just witnessed Maria grabbing the door.

"Your highness! Maria's escaping!"

Min instantly retracted his life force and whipped around. Indeed Maria disappeared.

Then Min realised he was being fooled "How dare you lie to me?"

This audacity Maria had, Min would properly make her responsible for it.

"Sal go and continue your duty. I don't care if your eyes are hurt or not. If you fail, you'll die."

"Y-Yes!"

Sal instantly scrambled out of the room. He was just happy to be able to leave Min's side. It was too much for his heart. Any second longer and Min might've killed Sal in his rage. Sal didn't even want to imagine it.

Min on the other side went to follow Maria. She couldn't have gone far. She was in a state of panic and her body was weak. Min should've finished her off here and there, instead to listen to anything she said.

In the end, it didn't matter, Maria was going to die either way. She was just prolonging her death uselessly. Min was incredibly furious and Maria had to pay for it.

Maria could feel that Min was following her. In her craze and hurry, she worked her body to the max. She never needed to physically exercise so much. She had enough stamina from travelling around the Immortal World but running fast, especially in her state wasn't possible.

But Maria could see it. The exit to the front area of the palace that led to the plaza. Just a bit more and she was there. The ominous footsteps echoing behind her made her almost lose her mind. She had to persevere.

And then-

BOOM

She flew against the door. Something else seemed to crash into it. It didn't matter because the air got heavier and pressed Maria slowly down. It was Min's doing. The door was so close!

She stretched out her arm and managed to grab the door handle. Then she opened it. The fresh air hit her face and she felt like she escaped Min's fangs.

Her eyes moved to the side.

"Maria?"

"Timo?... and Yano?"