Marvel : Mutant God

Though Richard now commanded the Seven as its captain and possessed abilities far surpassing Homelander's, Butcher didn't consider him an enemy—merely potential superhuman scum to be dealt with later.

Homelander, however, remained his primary target—the murderer responsible for his wife's death.

At this moment, Butcher remained unaware that his wife wasn't actually dead, nor that she had given birth to Homelander's child.

Though lacking flight capabilities, Butcher—enhanced by Temporary Compound V—accelerated with superhuman speed, rapidly closing the distance to Homelander, who had just been hurled aside by Richard's matter manipulation.

Without hesitation, Butcher activated his newly acquired heat vision. Golden high-temperature beams erupted from his eyes, striking Homelander squarely in the chest.

This unexpected energy attack sent Homelander, who had barely stabilized himself, flying backward once again.

Against ordinary superhumans, Butcher's heat vision would prove lethal.

For Homelander, however, this level of energy output posed no mortal threat.

Not only would it fail to kill him, but it couldn't even inflict serious injury.

Of course, if Homelander remained motionless, permitting Butcher to concentrate sustained heat vision on a single point, the risk would increase significantly.

Homelander, however, would never afford Butcher such an opportunity.

Though his psychology indeed resembled that of an emotionally stunted child, Homelander was far from stupid.

After being propelled backward by Butcher's heat vision, Homelander's expression first registered surprise.

This quickly transformed into uncontrollable rage.

Though physically unharmed, being struck by heat vision in public constituted the equivalent of a humiliating slap across the face for all to witness.

The explosion triggered by Soldier Boy's energy release had caused considerable property damage and attracted significant attention.

New York police officers and media representatives now converged on the plaza.

Civilians evacuating nearby buildings had begun recording the confrontation on their phones, capturing images of the damaged structures and the superhuman combatants.

Richard ignored the onlookers' documentation, focusing calmly on Soldier Boy before him.

Though this marked their first personal encounter, the moment Soldier Boy's gaze settled on Richard, the implanted subconscious programming activated. His expression immediately hardened with murderous intent.

With a thunderous roar, Soldier Boy charged toward Richard, wielding his massive shield with the clear intention of pulverizing his opponent.

Soldier Boy's movements weren't slow, and his strikes carried decisive force.

To Richard, however, Soldier Boy's advance appeared in slow motion—like watching individual frames of film projection.

Had he desired, Richard could have decapitated Soldier Boy before the shield approached, or simply kicked him away.

He deliberately refrained from doing so.

The reason was straightforward.

Richard had meticulously orchestrated Soldier Boy's emergence as a recognizable "super villain."

If he dispatched Soldier Boy too easily, public perception would dismiss Soldier Boy as pathetically weak.

Under those circumstances, Richard's strategy to cement himself as this world's most famous superhero by defeating Soldier Boy would collapse.

Though he could have remained in this reality longer, allowing his fame to grow organically, Richard had already tired of this world.

While unwilling to eliminate Soldier Boy too easily, he had no intention of allowing him to survive the night either.

As Soldier Boy's heavy shield descended toward him, Richard unhurriedly raised his left hand, intercepting the attack with Masamune.

CLANG!

The crisp, resonant sound of metal striking metal echoed across the plaza, reaching the ears of all present.

Neither Homelander, Stormfront, nor the gathered spectators understood Richard's current strategy.

However, witnessing him effortlessly block Soldier Boy's strike, the onlookers erupted into spontaneous cheers.

Though Richard's tenure in this world had been relatively brief, his public support had reached impressive levels.

Considering only his standing among Americans, he undoubtedly ranked as the most recognized superhero.

Unfortunately, the system's criteria for "most famous superhero" extended beyond mere American popularity.

Otherwise, he would have completed this world challenge long ago.

"Is this your full strength?" Richard asked, his expression registering disappointment. "Rather underwhelming, I must say."

Though mentally prepared, knowing Soldier Boy could never truly challenge him, the strength displayed by his opponent still fell far below Richard's expectations.

In truth, he hadn't even utilized one-tenth of his capabilities to neutralize Soldier Boy's enraged attack.

Hearing Richard's dismissive assessment, Soldier Boy snarled, "Boy, don't get cocky!"

"Cocky?" Richard replied calmly. "This isn't arrogance—merely an objective observation."

Following this statement, he applied minimal pressure with his left hand.

To Richard, the force seemed negligible.

For Soldier Boy, however, the impact resembled being struck by a speeding freight train. The blow propelled him backward more than ten meters.

Had Soldier Boy not possessed exceptional durability, the same force might have launched him several hundred meters.

After repelling Soldier Boy, Richard continued, "It's been quite some time since I've wielded a blade. Don't worry—I won't kill you immediately."

Despite the crowd of spectators, Richard maintained no concern about his words being overheard.

The nearest onlookers stood several dozen meters away.

Anyone capable of hearing from that distance would necessarily possess superhuman auditory capabilities.

"Don't concern yourself," Soldier Boy retorted. "I won't grant you a quick death either!"

"I'll ensure you experience an existence worse than death itself!"

With that declaration, Soldier Boy charged toward Richard again, shield positioned defensively.

Observing Soldier Boy's approach with raised shield, Richard experienced an unexpected moment of déjà vu—as though witnessing Captain America in action.

Though Soldier Boy and Steve Rogers shared no physical resemblance and possessed wildly different personalities, Soldier Boy's current combat stance bore a striking 70% similarity to Captain America's.

Soldier Boy significantly outclassed Captain America in raw power.

To Richard, however, this distinction remained irrelevant—both were equally outmatched.

As Soldier Boy barreled toward him, Richard advanced with unhurried steps.

When Soldier Boy entered Masamune's striking range, Richard executed a decisive swing.

He didn't employ complex techniques like Octoslash or Gravesong—merely a straightforward horizontal cut.

Though lacking sophistication, his strike exemplified the principles of speed, precision, and lethality.

While deliberately restraining his full strength, the execution remained flawless.

Though consumed with rage, Soldier Boy maintained tactical awareness.

As Richard's blade descended, he instinctively raised his shield.

CLANG!

Another metallic impact resonated through the battlefield.

The collision's force hurled Soldier Boy—who had been charging at considerable speed—dozens of meters backward, crashing through the wall of an adjacent building.

After repelling Soldier Boy with this strike, Richard didn't immediately pursue. Instead, he turned his attention toward the ongoing battle between Homelander and Butcher.

Despite receiving Temporary Compound V injections that granted abilities exceeding most superhumans, Butcher remained outclassed by Homelander.

Had Butcher not possessed CIA training and significantly greater combat experience than his opponent, the enhanced capabilities provided by Compound V-24 would never have allowed him to match Homelander even temporarily.

Butcher's advantage lay in his tactical expertise and refined combat techniques.

Homelander's edge came from superior physical attributes.

Leveraging their respective strengths, the two engaged in close-quarters combat across the plaza.

Neither currently employed heat vision—an ability ill-suited for such proximate engagement.

The confrontation between Butcher and Homelander maintained an apparent equilibrium.

This balance, however, soon disintegrated.

Upon noticing Richard's engagement with Soldier Boy, Stormfront quickly assessed her options before decisively inserting herself into the conflict between Butcher and Homelander.

She recognized the potential fame to be gained from confronting Soldier Boy directly.

The problem: Richard would never permit her interference.

Like everyone present, Stormfront couldn't determine Richard's precise intentions.

One fact remained certain—Richard had targeted Soldier Boy for some time.

With Stormfront's intervention, Butcher—who had previously matched Homelander—rapidly lost ground.

Under the coordinated assault from Homelander and Stormfront, Butcher found himself steadily retreating, completely surrendering the initiative.

At this critical juncture, Hughie—who had thus far remained uninvolved—finally acted.

Though initially targeting A-Train, the speedster responsible for Robin's death, Hughie altered his plan upon discovering A-Train's absence. Seeing Butcher overwhelmed by Homelander and Stormfront, he decided to assist his ally.

Without hesitation, he activated the abilities granted by Temporary Compound V.

Teleportation!

In an instant, Hughie—positioned at the plaza's perimeter—vanished, leaving only his discarded clothing behind.

Simultaneously, he materialized behind Stormfront like an apparition, driving his right fist into the back of her skull.

While teleportation constituted his primary enhancement, Temporary Compound V had also granted him strength and durability far exceeding human norms.

Had Stormfront been an ordinary individual, Hughie's punch would have obliterated her cranium.

Unfortunately for Hughie, Stormfront was anything but ordinary.

Like Hughie himself, her physical resilience vastly exceeded human limitations.

Though caught unprepared, Stormfront merely stumbled forward from the impact.

With Stormfront momentarily distracted and unable to unleash lightning attacks, Butcher seized this hard-won opportunity. He lunged at Homelander with predatory intensity, unleashing a barrage of ferocious strikes.

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!

The impacts reverberated like war drums.

Though Homelander now found himself pinned beneath Butcher's onslaught, Richard diverted his attention elsewhere. He swung Masamune in a precise arc.

CLANG!

The seemingly casual strike perfectly intercepted Soldier Boy's shield, deflecting his attempted sneak attack.

After repelling Soldier Boy this time, Richard abandoned his previous restraint. Activating his flight capability, he pursued his opponent relentlessly.

Before Soldier Boy could regain his footing, Richard executed another swing with Masamune.

CLANG!

The blade connected with Soldier Boy's shield, carving a centimeter-deep gash into the metal.

Even now, Richard neither channeled energy to enhance Masamune nor employed his full strength.

Had he done either, the legendary blade would have cleaved through the shield like paper.

This strike sent Soldier Boy crashing into the street, creating a sizeable impact crater in the asphalt.

Though insufficient to seriously injure someone of Soldier Boy's durability, the impact nevertheless forced him to reassess Richard's capabilities.

Recognizing the disparity in power, Soldier Boy immediately altered his strategy. His chest began emitting an orange-red glow.

This energy projection ability wasn't innate but rather resulted from the Russian military's inhumane experimentation.

Though acquired later, this power had become Soldier Boy's most formidable weapon.

Observing the intensifying glow emanating from Soldier Boy's chest, Richard suspended his assault. Instead, he stood calmly in the street, approximately five meters from his opponent.

Freed from immediate pressure, Soldier Boy quickly regained his footing.

"Go ahead," Richard invited with serene confidence. "Show me the full extent of your strongest attack."

The energy discharge Soldier Boy could unleash represented a genuine threat to other superhumans in this world.

Anyone struck directly would find their powers neutralized.

To Richard, however, Soldier Boy's energy blast posed no unique danger compared to other energy attacks he had faced.

Richard's abilities stemmed not from Compound V but from the X-Gene—an entirely different source of power.

Soon, the orange-red radiance emanating from Soldier Boy's chest reached blinding intensity. His expression contorted with evident pain.

When he could no longer contain the accumulated energy, Soldier Boy released it explosively.

Under the spectators' watchful gaze, a massive orange-red energy beam erupted toward Richard with the force of an artillery cannon.

In a heartbeat, the destructive beam closed the distance to Richard's position.

As the orange-red energy surge approached, Richard raised Masamune and silently invoked a technique.

Octoslash!

Without hesitation, he executed the long-dormant technique.

Since arriving in this world, Richard hadn't maintained his previous training regimen from the Marvel Universe.

Nevertheless, his mastery of Octoslash remained undiminished.

Eight lightning-swift strikes materialized in an instant, each precisely intercepting the orange-red energy beam unleashed by Soldier Boy.

As Soldier Boy and onlookers watched in disbelief, Masamune systematically dissected the massive energy column into fragments.

The destabilized energy dispersed chaotically in all directions, like rogue artillery shells.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Though diffused, each energy fragment still carried destructive potential rivaling rocket-propelled grenades.

Visible craters erupted across surrounding buildings and streets where the scattered energy made impact.

Richard disregarded the collateral damage caused by the dispersed energy. He activated teleportation, materializing directly before Soldier Boy.

His original strategy had involved prolonging the confrontation with Soldier Boy.

However, once Soldier Boy deployed his ultimate attack, Richard revised this assessment.

Soldier Boy had already revealed his strongest capability, rendering further combat pointless.

The time had come to conclude this battle—a conflict whose outcome had been predetermined from its inception.

After teleporting before Soldier Boy, who had yet to recover fully, Richard delivered a final pronouncement:

"You die with honor, falling to Octoslash!"

Without awaiting response, he executed a fluid swing with Masamune.

Octoslash!

Eight perfectly synchronized cuts manifested instantaneously, Masamune's blade slicing effortlessly through Soldier Boy's form.

Though Soldier Boy possessed extraordinary durability—sufficient that discharging an AK-47 in his mouth wouldn't prove fatal—his defense meant nothing against Richard's Octoslash.

In a moment that defied perception, Soldier Boy's body separated into dozens of precisely cut segments, which collapsed to the street under gravity's influence.

...

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