After leaving the hotel, Kayden immediately departed from Hiphia. He made a quick call to Diomidis Stevens and left. Hiphia was no longer a place he felt any attachment to. This time, Georgia had gone too far.
However, Kayden didn’t blame Georgia. Even though he didn’t know what went wrong, he wouldn’t hold her responsible. She had her own choices, and ultimately, it was he who owed her-she owed him nothing.
But after signing the divorce papers, there was nothing left for him to cling to. Of course, Georgia remained someone he would protect. After all, he had shielded her for three years. Without Georgia during those years, who knew where he would have ended up?
A favor must be repaid a hundredfold, and this was no small favor.
Kayden wasn’t one to dwell on emotions. He was decisive. From the moment he signed the divorce papers, he had already planned his next move. It didn’t matter anymore. From now on, he would devote himself entirely to dealing with the organization Hellblazer.
That same day, he bought a plane ticket to Inassea. He was heading there now.
Inassea was where Greedy Wolf, Wood Faulkner, and Firefist were. If not Inassea, then where else?
The moment he landed, Kayden received a call. It was from a senior officer at Seclela.
“Kayden, given your recent reckless behavior and indiscriminate killings, your position as Commander has been revoked. Effective today, you are no longer Commander of Seclela. All your military authority will be stripped.”
The voice on the other end was as cold as ancient ice, stabbing straight into Kayden’s heart.
“They’re taking my authority?” Kayden repeated, his tone heavy.
“Yes, that’s correct. Starting today, you no longer have any command over the troops.”
“And who gave you the courage to take my authority?” He didn’t know who the caller was, but he didn’t back down.
For Kayden, this was unbelievable. Someone actually dared to take away his authority. He had served the country for ten years, guarding the border for a decade, and now they wanted to strip him of his command?
Was this all because of the insignificant Hawthorne Eastwood? Or was it tied to the so-called Elysium Gate?
“This is the Dragon Lord’s decision! You have severely overstepped your authority. We turned a blind eye when you destroyed The Nightshade, but now that you’ve targeted the Golden Threshold Society, what’s next? Are you planning to wipe out the Four Great Clans as well? You’ve crossed the line. Out of respect for your years of service, we’ll spare your life. I suggest you tread carefully from now on.”
With that, the line went dead.
Just as Godefroid had predicted, Kayden had been stripped of his rank. There was no doubt about it-this was the handiwork of Asher Voss, who had likely allied with the Four Great Clans to pressure the higher-ups.
The decision was monumental-it had even reached the Dragon Lord.
Divorce. Loss of authority. It was one blow after another, a relentless storm of misfortune.
After hanging up, Kayden didn’t dwell on it. Instead, he headed straight to the Atkinson estate.
Atkinson Estate.
The estate was shrouded in silence. Fletcher Atkinson, Greedy Wolf, and the recently recovered Wood Faulkner sat quietly in the grand meeting hall.
This room, once filled with members of the Atkinson family, now held only the three of them.
Their expressions were grim, as if they had all faced some great calamity.
“What now?” Fletcher Atkinson asked, his gaze fixed on Greedy Wolf.
An hour earlier, they had received a call from the higher-ups. Greedy Wolf was officially appointed as Commander, replacing Kayden, while Fletcher Atkinson was reinstated as Deputy Commander.
As for Wood Faulkner, she hadn’t received any calls. She still hadn’t recovered her memories and remained unaware of her past.
“We wait,” Greedy Wolf said firmly. “We wait for the boss to decide.”
The room fell silent once more. Their faces were grim, and they could already guess what had happened. If Greedy Wolf had been appointed Commander, it meant Kayden had been removed from his post.
Before long, Kayden arrived at the estate.
The news of his dismissal didn’t seem to affect him much. While he found parts of it puzzling, he didn’t dwell on it. With or without the title, he was determined to fight Hellblazer.
As he entered the estate, a young woman suddenly blocked his path, arms outstretched.
“Where have you been? I have a few questions for you.”
It was Audrey, a medical school teacher and Fletcher Atkinson’s niece.
“Move aside. I don’t have time for your questions.”
Kayden’s tone was icy as he pushed her aside.
Audrey staggered but quickly stepped forward again, standing in his way. “How can you be like this? Do you know how long I’ve been waiting for you?”
“Was it you who caused the incident at the school? Did you force Mr. Edd to record that video? Did you make the principal go to prison? And what about Bruce Peters? Did you chase him away too?”
Audrey bombarded him with questions, her tone relentless.
“Move!” Kayden pushed her aside once more, striding into the estate.
Audrey stumbled back several steps, her voice indignant. “How can you act like this? This is my home! If someone should leave, shouldn’t it be you?”
“Annoying and self-righteous,” Kayden muttered coldly, ignoring her. He had no time to waste on her. His priority was restoring Wood Faulkner’s memory before leaving Inassea to find Felicity.
Godefroid’s suppression had exposed his own weaknesses. He realized he wasn’t invincible.
If even Godefroid feared Hellblazer, what chance did he have?
The thought of it made him restless. He needed to find Felicity-the girl with a unique innate spirit. She was his only hope.
When he entered the meeting room, the three inside immediately stood up.
“Boss!”
Kayden glanced at their anxious faces and cut straight to the point.
“Tell me. What happened?”
Fletcher Atkinson and Greedy Wolf exchanged glances before explaining everything in detail.
When they finished, the two knelt before him, their voices solemn.
“Boss, we follow you to the death. If you’ve been dismissed, we are willing to leave with you and establish a kingdom of our own!”
“Ridiculous!” Kayden scolded, his sharp gaze falling on his loyal men.
“What is our duty? It is to protect this land and suppress the wolves that dare to invade it. If you follow me to establish a kingdom, aren’t you dragging me into a position of rebellion and disloyalty?”
As his words fell, a thunderous commotion erupted outside.
Footsteps. Helicopters landing. The roar of countless vehicles.
Kayden frowned. Then came the deafening chant from outside.
“Defender, we are all willing to follow you!”