Chapter 57: 57: Harsh beatdown
The chilling laugh of the shadowy villain echoed throughout the theatre, causing a wave of panic to ripple through the audience. Aiden immediately stepped forward, his commanding presence cutting through the fear.
"Kaela, Seraphine!" he barked, his tone calm but firm.
Kaela straightened up, her usual playful energy replaced with serious focus. "On it, my prince!"
"Seraphine, get the injured and elderly to safety first," Aiden continued. "Kaela, coordinate with the theatre staff and direct everyone to the exits. Make sure the police and heroes outside can handle the evacuation."
"You got it!" Seraphine said, giving him a nod as she rushed off.
Kaela quickly moved to the nearest group of frightened patrons. "Follow me! Let's get you all out of here safely!" she urged, her authoritative voice restoring a sense of order amidst the chaos.
As the crowd began to evacuate, Aiden turned his attention to the dark figure looming on the stage. His eyes narrowed, the faint glow of gold and blue in them intensifying.
The villain's shadowy form shifted, tendrils of darkness swirling around him like a living cloak. "Impressive leadership, boy," he said with a mocking grin.
"But do you think you can stand against me? I am Umbrael, the embodiment of the night's fury. My quirk, Eclipse, allows me to control darkness itself—its weight, its depth, its inescapable grip."
Umbrael raised a hand, and the tendrils extended, snuffing out the lights entirely. The theatre was plunged into absolute blackness, save for the faint glow of Aiden's eyes.
"I've fought darkness before," Aiden said evenly, a confident smirk spreading across his face. "You're just another shadow to cast aside."
With a flick of his wrist, Aiden activated the nanobots integrated into his clothing. They shimmered and spread across his body, forming his sleek hero suit. Gold armour hugged his muscular frame, intricate patterns glowing faintly with a regal aura. His cape unfurled, lined with shimmering threads that glowed like starlight.
His voice carried authority as he took a step forward. "Call me Basileus. And tonight, Umbrael, you're about to learn what it means to face royalty."
Umbrael attacked first, launching tendrils of darkness at Aiden. They slammed into the stage, splintering the wood and sending shards flying. Aiden dodged nimbly, flipping through the air before landing in a crouch.
With a wave of his hand, he summoned an orb of light that exploded outward, momentarily dispelling the shadows. Umbrael hissed, recoiling as the light seared through his tendrils.
"Not so tough in the light, huh?" Aiden taunted, his smirk widening.
"You'll regret underestimating me!" Umbrael roared, his shadows surging forward in a massive wave.
Before the darkness could overwhelm Aiden, Celeste leapt into action. Her glasses glinted as she activated her quirk, Absolute Reflection.
She absorbed the force of Umbrael's attack into her hands, her body glowing faintly as she redirected it back.
The reflected attack smashed into Umbrael, forcing him to stagger back. "Nice try," she said with a grin. "But we're not letting you wreck this place."
"Celeste!" Aiden called. "Keep him busy and minimise the damage to the theatre. I'll handle the heavy hits."
"Got it, Basileus," she replied, her tone playful even in the heat of battle.
Meanwhile, Toru stood in the wings of the stage, watching the fight unfold. She clenched her fists, frustration written all over her face. "I can't just stand here and do nothing," she whispered to herself.
Activating the gadget Aiden had made for her, Toru and her clothes vanished from sight. She moved stealthily onto the stage, positioning herself behind Umbrael.
Using her quirk and invisibility, she began untying the ropes holding a massive prop light fixture above him.
"Don't you dare call me useless," she muttered, a determined smile on her invisible face.
Umbrael unleashed a new barrage of attacks, summoning spikes of solid darkness that erupted from the ground. Aiden dodged them with ease, his movements fluid and confident.
He retaliated with precise energy blasts, illuminating the theatre in bursts of golden light.
"You fight well, Basileus," Umbrael admitted, his voice grudging. "But you'll never win. The shadows are endless!"
"We'll see about that," Aiden replied.
Celeste absorbed another attack and redirected it, while Aiden closed the distance, landing a powerful punch that cracked Umbrael's shadowy armour.
"Not so invincible now, are you?" Aiden quipped.
As Toru finished untying the last rope, the massive light fixture above Umbrael creaked ominously. She moved quickly, positioning herself to push the fixture over the edge.
Just as she was about to act, Umbrael turned, his eyes locking onto her despite her invisibility. "You think I can't sense you?" he sneered.
He raised a hand, and a massive tendril of darkness shot toward her. Toru froze, realising too late that she was directly in its path.
"Toru!" Aiden shouted, his voice filled with panic as he dashed toward her.
The tendril surged forward, seconds away from striking her as the scene plunged into chaos.
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Aiden's eyes blazed with determination as he grabbed the tendril of darkness that was surging toward Toru. The shadow-like mass felt cold and oppressive in his hands, but he didn't hesitate.
With a mighty roar, he yanked the tendril toward him, pulling Umbrael's entire form along with it. Umbrael's surprised gasp was the last thing he heard before Aiden swung him around like a ragdoll.
Each swing of Umbrael's body smashed into the stage with earth-shattering force, splintering wood and cracking the foundations beneath. [A/N: Hulk smash puny god]
Aiden let out a fierce battle cry as he slammed Umbrael into the ground again and again, the villain's body bouncing off the floor with each impact, the echoes of the blows resonating through the theatre.
The shadows surrounding Umbrael writhed, but they couldn't break free.
Aiden wasn't done. He summoned dozens of light spears, the ethereal weapons shimmering like beams of pure sunlight in the otherwise darkened theatre.
Without a second thought, he hurled them at the villain, each spear striking Umbrael's form, pinning him in place with a brutal display of raw power.
The darkness writhed and convulsed around him as if trying to escape the searing light, but it was futile. Umbrael was trapped, his body skewered, unable to fight back.
Aiden's fists clenched, his eyes locked onto the weakened villain beneath him. He wasn't satisfied yet. Not nearly. He needed to end this now.
With a surge of light, he brought his fist down hard onto Umbrael's shadowy form, his fist imbued with the power of the sun itself. The ground beneath them cracked, and Umbrael's body jerked from the sheer force.
The villain let out a guttural scream, his shadows flaring out like an explosion, but they couldn't shield him. Not anymore.
Aiden punched again, his fist glowing brightly, the light practically burning through the darkness. Umbrael's body twitched, but his attempts to fight back were futile against the unrelenting force Aiden was pouring into each strike. The villain's dark form was being battered into submission with each powerful blow.
Meanwhile, outside the theatre, the sound of sirens grew louder, signaling the arrival of heroes. Kamui Woods (who was on holiday) , along with several other pro heroes, dashed into the building, prepared for anything. As they entered the theatre, their eyes widened at the sight that greeted them.
They saw Aiden, a teenager dressed in a golden suit, his hood and visor removed, his face set in a look of intense focus as he ruthlessly pummeled Umbrael into the ground. The heroes exchanged surprised glances.
They had expected to find a pro hero, or at least someone with more experience. But instead, they found a young man, barely older than a child, laying waste to a villain with the power of a seasoned warrior.
Kamui Woods stepped forward, his eyes narrowed as he took in the situation. "Is this... the kid doing this?" he muttered to himself, not quite believing what he was seeing.
He could hear the raw impact of Aiden's punches and the occasional pained scream from Umbrael, who was barely conscious at this point, his form battered beyond recognition.
Back on stage, Aiden continued his brutal onslaught. Each punch was like a thunderclap, sending shockwaves through the building. The ground cracked beneath his fists, his golden suit glowing brighter with each hit. His movements were fluid, precise, and relentless.
He wasn't fighting just for victory. He was fighting to protect. To make sure that Toru and everyone else remained safe. This villain had dared to harm the people he cared about, and Aiden was going to make sure he paid for it.
With another roar, Aiden brought his fist down one last time, his light-infused punch slamming into Umbrael's body with the force of a meteor strike. The villain's shadowy form evaporated, dissolving into nothingness as the light overwhelmed it.
The stage was left in eerie silence as the last traces of Umbrael's darkness faded into nothingness.
Aiden stood there, his chest heaving as he caught his breath. He glanced over at Toru, who was still standing at the edge of the stage, her eyes wide in awe.
"Toru, you alright?" he asked, his voice a little breathless but full of concern.
She nodded, her expression filled with gratitude and admiration. "I—I'm fine, Aiden. I'm fine."
As the remaining heroes stepped forward, their eyes filled with respect and confusion, Kamui Woods spoke first. "That was… impressive," he said, his voice laced with awe. "You're a kid, right?"
Aiden looked over his shoulder, his face a mix of exhaustion and pride. "I'm no kid, Kamui Woods," he said with a grin. "I'm a king."
Kamui's brows furrowed in confusion, but he didn't press further. He knew better than to question the strength of someone who had just taken down a villain of such power. Instead, he gestured to his team. "We'll take it from here. Thanks for handling it."
Aiden gave a nod, acknowledging their presence but making it clear he didn't need their help. With the situation under control, the other heroes began to clear the area and assist in securing the theatre.
But Aiden's eyes were still on Toru.
"Let's go home," he said softly, his voice full of warmth and tenderness. "You've had enough excitement for one day."
Toru smiled, her cheeks still flushed from the events of the day. "Yeah… I think I have."
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