The noisy plaza suddenly became eerily quiet.
People stared in shock at the figure emerging from the entrance of Vought Tower, their eyes darting between Homelander and Soldier Boy.
"Soldier Boy..."
Homelander murmured the name as he watched Soldier Boy slowly rise to his feet. He pursed his lips and then glanced toward the rooftop in the distance.
When he saw the figure aiming a sniper rifle at him, a complex expression crossed Homelander's face.
"William Butcher, I should have known... This was all your doing behind the scenes, all for revenge against me."
Muttering to himself, Homelander slowly clenched his fist.
He naturally recognized William Butcher. In fact, after the death of the Translucent, Vought had thoroughly investigated Butcher's team.
As the leader of The Seven, Homelander was well aware of the animosity between him and Butcher. It all stemmed from the time he had insulted Butcher's wife.
But to be honest, Homelander had never taken this man seriously. After all, Butcher was just an ordinary human, while Homelander was the world's most powerful superhero. How could someone like him dare to cause trouble for him?
But now...
Looking at the chaotic scene around him, Homelander realized for the first time that he had made a serious misjudgment.
He never expected that this frail mortal would one day force him into such a position, threatening even the existence of Vought.
As Homelander was about to gather energy for a laser eye blast to take out Butcher on the rooftop, Soldier Boy slowly got up and raised his shield.
"So, you're the 'new guy,'" Homelander said.
Although Homelander's laser eyes hit Soldier Boy directly, they didn't cause much damage. As the previous most powerful supe, Soldier Boy's physical condition was no worse than Homelander's.
Hearing the voice, Homelander turned his gaze toward Soldier Boy, and for the first time, he seriously assessed the man before him.
"You were once the person I admired the most," Homelander said. "I've watched all your films, hundreds of times each. You're the only one who has the strength to rival mine."
"You think you're strong?" Soldier Boy sneered, brushing dust off his clothes.
As Homelander focused on him, Soldier Boy took the opportunity to size him up as well. Looking at the frail blonde man, Soldier Boy smirked and spoke mockingly.
"Wearing a cape? You're just a poor imitation, a cowardly piece of trash."
"Is that what you really think?" Homelander took a deep breath, glaring at Soldier Boy. He could barely contain his desire to crush him immediately. "I am perfection, more perfect than you."
"I don't care, but you'd better not stand in my way."
Soldier Boy had no intention of engaging in a verbal sparring match with Homelander. His main goal now was to seek revenge on Edgar.
But Homelander took a step to the right, blocking Soldier Boy's path and shaking his head slightly.
"This is my tower, the headquarters of The Seven. Whatever it is you plan to do, you should know that I won't let you in."
Upon hearing this, Soldier Boy slowly lifted his head and locked eyes with Homelander. This was not the first time he had been blocked, and now, he was filled with extreme rage.
The intense standoff between Homelander and Soldier Boy created an oppressive atmosphere that made even the surrounding superheroes hesitant to act. Whether it was Polarity, who had lost an arm, or Cindy, who had just gotten back up, everyone stopped moving.
None of them dared intervene, as they were all curious to see how this clash between the two most powerful generations of superheroes would unfold.
At that moment, the atmosphere felt like the calm before a storm. Everyone knew these two were like live volcanoes ready to erupt, but no one dared speak.
In fact, the crowd intentionally held their breath, waiting for the moment the two would clash.
Just then, a weak voice broke the silence.
"Soldier Boy, show him what you're capable of!"
It was an ordinary protester.
He had originally come with the others to protest outside Vought Tower. He would never forget how his newly bought car had been damaged during a superhero battle, and how Vought had only compensated him with $1,000 to brush it off.
Earlier, he had been standing in the front row of protesters. Because of the conflict between Soldier Boy and Polarity, he had been one of the innocent bystanders caught in the crossfire.
Fortunately for him, he had suffered far less damage compared to the unfortunate dead.
Now, seeing Homelander himself stepping up, acting in defense of Vought, he couldn't contain his anger any longer, hoping Soldier Boy would take down this Vought lackey.
The man's voice wasn't loud, but in the silent environment, it sounded exceptionally clear.
Everyone present heard his words, and the moment the words were spoken, the protests gained new energy. The protesters all stood up, shouting support for Soldier Boy.
"Kill him, Soldier Boy!"
"Take down Homelander, overthrow Vought!"
"Go, finish him off!"
"Soldier Boy is the true hero."
"Homelander, die!"
"Kill Homelander!"
The praise once heaped on Vought Group now turned into a stone that would backfire on them. After Soldier Boy's disappearance, Vought had fabricated his sacrifice, creating him as the most famous legendary hero.
However, this move had now become a weapon against Vought, turning into the rallying cry for the people to charge against the corporation.
No one knew how much of a menace Soldier Boy was behind the scenes, nor how truly vile he could be. What they knew was that Soldier Boy was a legend.
And now, this legendary hero, who spanned over half a century, was standing with them, ready to face The Seven and overthrow Vought!
In an instant, the plaza outside Vought Tower erupted with cheers.
Countless malicious insults and chants to support Soldier Boy enveloped Homelander. He froze for a moment, staring at the chaos around him.
His mouth hung slightly open, his eyes bewildered as he looked at the scene unfolding.
Those who once supported him and respected him now stood with his enemies, hurling insults and expressing their disgust, as if they wished him dead. This made Homelander feel as if there was a lump stuck in his throat.
His lips trembled slightly. Homelander wanted to say something, but the eruption of insults left him speechless.
Meanwhile, facing him, Soldier Boy now wore a confident smile.
At first, he thought that after so many years, no one would remember his existence. To his surprise, he was still so beloved, even more so than in his prime.
"Did you see that? A true hero is eternal, while you are nothing but a pitiful imitation."
Homelander, already teetering on the edge of madness, clenched his fists tightly. Soldier Boy's mockery pushed him over the edge, and the veins on his forehead throbbed.
His eyes burned with murderous intent as a scarlet light erupted from his gaze. A powerful laser, filled with destructive energy, shot straight at Soldier Boy.
This time, Soldier Boy was prepared. As soon as the beam erupted, he immediately raised his shield, and the force from the laser blasted against the shield with a bright red glow.
Grinding his teeth, Homelander bared his teeth, growling fiercely at Soldier Boy.
"I'll show you who the true hero is, the strongest in the world!"
"Definitely not you!"
With a roar, Soldier Boy charged forward, pushing his shield forward to absorb the laser's force, advancing toward Homelander.
Homelander never imagined anyone could withstand his laser and charge at him.
In the blink of an eye, Soldier Boy was upon him, and with a mighty collision, Homelander was sent flying, crashing onto the stairs, landing heavily on his back.
The moment the attack ended, Soldier Boy moved quickly, understanding that his enemy was no weaker than him. To defeat him, he needed to prevent any chance for retaliation.
He raised his shield high, aiming the sharp edge at Homelander's face.
The force of the attack was immense, and Homelander quickly reached out with both hands, desperately grabbing the edge of the shield. The sharp corner of the shield was only one centimeter away from his face.
Feeling the immense pressure from below, Soldier Boy gritted his teeth, pressing down with both hands on the shield, determined to finish off this failed hero.
"Ughhhh!"
Homelander's hands shook slightly as the overwhelming force pressed against the shield. Had it not been for the specially made shield, it would have been unable to withstand the terrifying strength of these two superhumans.
"Die, trash!" Soldier Boy spat coldly.
Homelander let out a beastly roar, his eyes flashing with a blinding crimson light once again.
Sensing the energy building in Homelander's eyes, Soldier Boy's heart sank, and he pushed even harder, hoping to finish him off.
However, Homelander had gathered enough power. With a roar, a terrifying beam of light shot from his eyes, as thick as a human arm.
The destructive energy instantly sent Soldier Boy flying, and the shield shattered into pieces, scattering into irregular fragments.
The intense explosion of energy left Homelander's eyes aching, but he staggered to his feet from the broken stairs.
His previously perfectly styled hair was now a mess, and his suit was covered in dust.
Clenching his fists tightly, Homelander shook his head and then turned his gaze toward the silent superheroes like Ezekiel, Polarity, and others.
"...What are you waiting for? Kill these supervillains!"
"Bu-but..."
Ezekiel stammered, trembling as he spoke.
He was just an actor, though he was called a superhero, it was all scripted by Vought. He never actually did any superhero work and mostly just participated in charity events.
"If you don't act now, I'll tear you all apart, one by one. Kill them—NOW!!"
Homelander raised his hand and pointed at them, his face twisted with madness as he shouted.
"I've already warned you, don't block my way."
Coldly staring at the superheroes in front of him, Soldier Boy cursed, then lifted his foot and walked forward.
Behind him, Cindy and the others followed. These people were ready for battle, prepared to launch deadly attacks on anyone who resisted.
For them, Vought had already become their greatest enemy. In this situation, anyone who dared to stand on Vought's side was their enemy as well.
However, just as Soldier Boy was about to move, Polarity stood in front of him.
Soldier Boy looked up, his face dark as he gazed at the man who dared to block his path.
"Listen, sir, I don't want to fight you. I don't know if there's some misunderstanding, but as a hero, you absolutely cannot do this. You're committing a crime."
Polarity subtly adjusted the magnetic field around him, wary of Soldier Boy suddenly attacking. Meanwhile, he tried to reason with him.
"As a hero, yes, I'm doing exactly what a hero should do—blood for blood," Soldier Boy sneered. "Now, get out of my way."
Polarity's expression was full of struggle. His features tightened as he gritted his teeth and spoke softly.
"I beg you, sir, I have a son..."
But Soldier Boy had already lost patience. Seeing that the man was still stalling, Soldier Boy raised his hand, ready to deliver a powerful blow.
Polarity, however, had prepared for this. As soon as Soldier Boy raised his hand, Polarity suddenly stretched out both hands, activating an invisible repulsive force.
Soldier Boy immediately felt an unseen, strange energy hit him. His shield was pulled out of his grasp and sent flying toward the crowd behind him.
This explosive scene caused the crowd to scream in shock, but what they didn't know was that this was just the beginning.
Because Soldier Boy's strength was overwhelming, even Polarity, who had prepared for this, had difficulty controlling the direction of the magnetic force.
Thrown by the manipulated magnetic field, Soldier Boy shot backward at incredible speed, crashing into the densely packed crowd. The powerful force immediately crushed several innocent civilians into a bloody pulp.
Soldier Boy's shield, specially made and extremely heavy, smashed into a man's skull during its descent.
In an instant, three lives were lost, blood splattered across the ground, and even splashed onto the people nearby.
After a brief moment of silence, chaos erupted in the crowd. Screams and shoves filled the air as protesters in front of Vought Tower went wild.
At this moment, the crowd completely lost its sanity. Some people tried to escape the area, while others attempted to attack the superhumans and rush in with Soldier Boy.
The people in front tried to flee, while those behind wanted to enter, with some low-level superhumans who hated Vought joining the fray. The entire scene descended into chaos.
"This was bound to happen."
Two hundred meters away on a building rooftop, Butcher set up a sniper rifle, with Frenchie assisting him in adjusting the weapon.
Seeing the crowd below already in full turmoil, Butcher smiled faintly and aimed his sniper rifle at the superheroes below.
Meanwhile, at the entrance of Vought Tower, Polarity stood dumbfounded, watching the chaos his actions had caused. He had only intended to push Soldier Boy out, but he never expected that his actions would inadvertently result in the deaths of civilians.
This outcome made him feel as though his world had collapsed. With so many cameras and reporters around, public killing—although not his intention, merely an accident—would certainly implicate him.
After the incident, Polarity realized that his life was ruined. If Vought couldn't survive this, he would either be dead or face a lifetime in prison.
Thinking about his son, who was about to apply for Godolkin University, Polarity felt a complex mix of emotions.
As he pondered, a sudden sense of danger surged through him. Reacting instinctively, he raised his hand just in time to block a sharp bullet that hovered in front of him.
It was a special bullet designed to pierce the body of superhumans. Because it was a surprise attack, Polarity hastily blocked it, and the bullet trembled in the air before being deflected.
Immediately after, an innocent bystander in the distance was shot in the head, causing another wave of screams.
This time, Polarity had no energy to focus on the ordinary people. He quickly looked up in the direction the bullet had come from, and there, across the rooftops, he spotted the sniper.
Grinding his teeth, Polarity raised his hand, preparing to use his powers to retaliate.
But as soon as he raised his hand, an inexplicable feeling surged from his heart. The sense of impending death triggered a response, and Polarity barely managed to twist his body.
In the next instant, his right arm was blown to pieces.
"Ahhh!!!"
Clutching his wound, Polarity staggered back a few steps, looking up to see a woman with a buzz cut coldly smiling and extending her palm toward him.
"Quick, move now, or we'll all die here!"
Polarity couldn't think too much about it. He quickly shouted to the people behind him.
Cindy, who had been focusing on Polarity, noticed that he had reacted when she had gathered her power earlier, preventing her from blasting him apart. But this time, she wouldn't give him another chance.
As her hand opened, ready to form a fist and use her telekinesis, she suddenly felt a powerful force strike her chest, and in the next moment, she was sent flying.
In an instant, the man in the orange suit, Shockwave, appeared at Cindy's previous position. He was still in the stance of throwing a punch, his face filled with tension.
To his surprise, although he was a superhero, and widely regarded as the one most likely to succeed A-Train as the speedster, he spent most of his time on fitness and running.
This was his first time facing such a situation. He didn't know what to do, but when he saw Polarity's arm being blasted off, he knew he had to act.
Seeing Shockwave join the fray, the remaining superheroes exchanged glances, then gathered together to launch a fierce attack.
The representative of the Church, Angel, spread her snow-white wings to confront the Jetstream, while Ezekiel, known for his incredible durability, squared off against Shaker.
When Polarity raised his remaining left hand to use his powers, Electromagnetic Woman immediately pressed both hands to her temples, activating her electromagnetic abilities to disrupt his control.
If Polarity had been in his prime, Electromagnetic Woman's interference would have had no effect on him. But now, as an older man with only one arm, he struggled to resist her disturbance.
However, the interference didn't last long. Electromagnetic Woman was soon knocked flying by Shockwave, crashing heavily to the ground.
With Shockwave's speed, everyone on the battlefield seemed to be moving like slow-motion to him. He had plenty of time to observe the situation.
After plowing through a few bystanders, Shockwave soon spotted a man spraying corrosive liquid, attacking Supersonic.
Compared to the others, Supersonic clearly didn't want to be part of the fight and was reluctant to engage anyone.
In fact, when the casualties first appeared, he had been preparing to help the injured, but this toxic-spray man blocked his way.
Although his superhero name was Supersonic, his ability wasn't super speed. Instead, he could generate powerful sonic booms with his hand slaps.
Supersonic was well aware of the destructive power of his abilities. While they might not pose a threat to someone of Vought's caliber, ordinary people around him could not withstand it.
If he used his powers, the eardrums of everyone nearby would be instantly shattered, and there was even a risk of accidentally harming his allies, which would make things even worse.
So, when the Poison Dart Frog attacked him, Supersonic refrained from using his powers. Instead, he relied on his superior physical abilities to dodge and counter.
Seeing this, Shockwave immediately moved to assist. He aimed a punch at the man who was launching the attack. But just as he was about to strike, a shield suddenly blocked his path.
Before Shockwave could react, everything went dark, and the next moment, his face slammed into the shield, causing him to flip backward and crash to the ground.
"You bastard!"
Soldier Boy, holding the shield, stomped on Shockwave's chest.
"You think you can run?" Soldier Boy sneered.
"No, no, no, sir!!"
Shockwave's teeth were shattered, and his face lost all feeling. He tried to speak, but when he opened his mouth, several blood-soaked teeth fell out.
Seeing Shockwave trying to block with both hands, Soldier Boy's eyes turned cold. He raised his shield.
The sharp edge of the Eagle Cross Shield slammed into Shockwave's face.
With a single blow, Shockwave's skull shattered, his face caved in, and blood poured out like a fountain.
As if not satisfied, Soldier Boy raised his hand again and struck several more times.
Just as he prepared for another blow, a crimson laser shot through the air from a distance, blasting Soldier Boy away.
As the laser streaked across the battlefield, everything seemed to freeze in that moment.
Everyone stopped, staring in shock at the direction from which the laser had come.
Following the trail of countless bodies, at the entrance of Vought Tower, a man dressed in blue armor with stars and stripes on his back, wearing blonde hair, watched with a complex expression as Soldier Boy was sent flying.
"Finally."
.....
📢30 advanced chapters on p@treaon📢
For advance chapters: p@treon.com/Uchiha_Itachi007 (replace @ with a)
489. Chaos and Darkness!!
490. Reimbursement!!
491. Massacre.
492. Torrential Rain.
493. On the Other Side of the Mirror.