Homelander's emotions over the past few days had been like an out-of-control roller coaster—wildly swinging between two extremes, plummeting from the clouds to the abyss, then momentarily soaring on futile hope, over and over again.
His heart, twisted by a lack of love, was already full of cracks. Under the relentless heavy blows, it had become riddled with holes, fragile and brittle.
At this moment, suppressed by Locke's seemingly trivial yet unstoppable fist wind, his entire body ached, and he couldn't muster the slightest strength to resist. In the chaos of his mind, the recent torrent of changes surged uncontrollably. Scenes flashed before his eyes, causing his heart to crack further.
From Stan Edgar pushing him step by step to the brink, unbearable to the point where he could barely keep up the facade, publicly revealing his true nature—
to the unexpected surge in approval ratings and a glimmer of hope that rekindled a weak flame;
then, the inexplicable beating at Elmira, which shattered the confidence he had maintained through absolute power—to this day, he still didn't know who that ruthless man was;
until he desperately fought back, joining forces with Neumann to overthrow Stan's power, thinking he could finally control his own destiny.
But since then, his life had been forcibly steered onto an absurd path, like a runaway roller coaster hurtling in a direction he couldn't comprehend.
First, his "father"—Soldier Boy—was rescued from Russia by Butcher. With no choice but to swallow the humiliation, he agreed to cooperate with Stan again, even willing to relinquish the power he had finally gained, just to exchange it for the family warmth he had dreamed of and reunite with his real "father."
For the sake of this false "home," Homelander accepted and agreed to every compromise and concession.
But the familial love he craved was replaced by a complete conspiracy. His father had actually allied with Queen Maeve—whom he once treasured—and Butcher—whom he despised—to execute him! And the reason he gave was that he thought Homelander was a weak, spineless coward!!
Who was he?
He was Homelander! The strongest man in the world! Bar none!
How could he be spineless?!
He just wanted a little love, a little family warmth within reach. Why did everyone have to trample on his feelings again and again?!
Homelander couldn't figure it out, and he didn't want to think about it anymore. He could only attribute all the pain and disappointment to his own weakness.
So he decided to heed Soldier Boy's "teachings"—to strangle the weak, incompetent version of himself with his own hands.
He wanted to take Compound Seven, given to him by Stan, to completely shed the sins and immaturity of the past, to rise from the ashes and become a new, perfect "self."
To become a real man. A real MAN.
He no longer needed those cheap emotions. He had finally become the so-called "true self."
These two things should have brought him complete relief and ecstasy. But why... why had it come to this pathetic state?
Where had this man come from? Why could he be forced into a situation with no power to resist? Why did every inch of his bones scream in pain, every breath feel like tearing?
This wasn't how it was supposed to be! Absolutely not!
The future he had envisioned was definitely not this!
He had taken Compound Seven to cut away the weaknesses of the past, to become an unparalleled being, to make everyone look up to him, admire him, worship him like a god! Not to be pressed into the ground again and again like this!
"No——!"
A roar tore from his throat. The last thread of "reason" in Homelander's heart completely snapped under the weight of supreme rage and humiliation.
The complex rage factors in his body intertwined and collided with the adrenaline that was on the verge of eruption, transforming into a destructive force that surged through his blood vessels!
Gradually, the intense pain in his body began to subside, replaced by a rising sense of power—stronger than ever before, almost brutal.
He finally had the confidence to fight back. He even felt he could tear everything before him apart!
Homelander suddenly raised his right hand. At that moment, the very air around him seemed to twist and tremble under this incredible force. He fixed his gaze on Locke, his eyes burning with madness, ready to burn everything, and lunged desperately at his opponent. His roar shook the collapsing building, echoing back:
"I am God——!!!"
But the expected eruption of counterattack never came.
Facing Homelander's fist, wrapped in air-tearing force, a blow that should have pulverized him into paste, Locke didn't even take half a step back. He simply tilted his head with calm indifference.
The fist whistled past his ear. The terrifying wind pressure exploded instantly.
The lightning rod behind him, already on the verge of collapse, crumbled on the spot under the impact of this uncontrolled kinetic energy. Metal fragments, wrapped in gravel and concrete blocks, shot out from the rooftop like cannonballs, instantly disappearing into the storm of smoke and dust.
Before Homelander could retract his fist, Locke twisted his wrist, precisely seizing the wrist joint at the base of the fist and turning it with the momentum—an extremely fast joint-locking technique, cunning and ruthless.
With a sharp crack, Homelander felt a sharp pain in his right arm. His whole body was carried by an irresistible force. The world spun, and there was no time to react.
The next second, he was slammed onto the cold ground. A sharp pain in his back shot through him.
Before he could struggle to look up, Locke's knee was already pressed against his back. His palm, wrapped in a dense black aura of power, slammed into the back of his head.
A dull, heavy sound slightly shook the ground. The dominant force condensed in his fist penetrated through the skull.
Homelander went rigid. All his rage and strength instantly dissipated. His eyes rolled back, and he fell unconscious on the spot.
[Dragon Hunt Quest Completed]
[Popularity Points +850]
Locke emotionlessly lowered his gaze to his own nearly shattered right hand. The phalanges were bent and deformed, the wound still oozing dark red blood. He flexed his fingers slightly, the sharp pain of fractured bones shooting through, but his face remained expressionless.
Then he looked up, sweeping his gaze over the unconscious Homelander on the ground. A sneer escaped his throat, disgust in his voice:
"Is this the best you've got? Still calling yourself a god? Pathetic."
"Your ability to withstand pressure is far too weak. How did you survive the lab as a child? Was it just because you were thick-skinned?"
The moment the words left his mouth, the sound of heavy dragging came from the rooftop entrance. Soldier Boy, having somehow survived the fall, had made his way back. His body was covered in wounds, his armor torn, stained with blood and dust. His chest heaved violently, each breath painful.
He caught sight of Homelander on the ground, and a bright light instantly blazed in his eyes. He said to Locke in a coarse voice:
"Good job! Another day, I'll treat you to the strongest drink! Get out of the way—I want to destroy this evil seed with my own hands!"
As he spoke, he stumbled toward Homelander. Just as he stepped in front of Locke, before he could take another step, Locke suddenly raised his hand—and delivered an unexpected, resounding slap!
"Smack——!"
The crisp sound shook the empty rooftop. Soldier Boy's entire body was turned half a circle by the force of the slap. The corners of his mouth instantly split open, and he spat out two bloody teeth mixed with bloody foam.
He staggered to steady himself, his swollen face tilting, his eyes wide, staring at Locke in disbelief.
Locke sneered, slowly lowering his hand, looking down at him with contempt:
"I let this bastard off easy. Did I forget to hit you?"
"I changed my mind. Today, you die with your son. And not even Jesus can stop it."
"I said so."
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