Chapter 105: Ten-Ring Civil and Military, Six-Winged Angel, Count Dracula

Victor von Doom, one of the world's most powerful villains, had been easily bested. The Fantastic Four had struggled against him countless times, but here he was, defeated before he even had a chance to fight back.

The gathering of heroes in the Empire State Building stared at Ethan Hayes in terror. Many had once thought themselves invincible, but seeing a figure like Doom destroyed with such ease had shattered their illusions. More than a hundred powerful heroes and villains now stood frozen in fear, as Ethan surveyed them with quiet menace.

The man known as Wenwu, leader of the Ten Rings and a warrior who had lived centuries, spoke up, a smile playing on his lips. "If any of you want to survive, now's the time to take action. We have only one chance, and it's to contain this demon together. As for killing him—that task is for us 'old monsters' to handle."

As Wenwu looked around the room, his voice steadied the crowd. His aura of calm was infectious. He wasn't alone in his confidence; others, like the Holy See's bald priest and Count Dracula, nodded in agreement. They were among the few here who might be able to face Ethan without flinching. They knew what was at stake, especially when Ethan had called them 'old monsters,' his dismissive tone riling each of them. In their long lives, they'd faced all manner of threats. But none, they knew, had been quite like this.

Ethan, noticing the steely resolve in some of them, chuckled. "I've shown kindness, but it seems kindness is wasted on you. So I'll give one more chance to those who want to survive: leave now, and I will let you go. But those who stay here, I take as enemies. Don't think for a moment you can play the hero without consequence."

A ripple of uncertainty spread through the crowd. Several heroes, seeing the bodies of their fallen comrades—burned and atomized to nothing by Ethan's Omega Rays—knew that he meant every word. And yet, there was still hesitation. Some chose to take him up on his offer, slipping toward the exits, while others braced themselves for the fight of their lives.

"Hah! The devil speaks of kindness as if he knows what it means," Wenwu laughed bitterly, his fists clenched. "This is your last chance!" he warned the others. "Fight together, or we'll all die here tonight!"

The Punisher fired a bullet aimed directly at Ethan's forehead. But the sound that followed was only the soft clink of a bullet dropping harmlessly to the floor.

Then, gunfire erupted, bullets flying from all directions, ricocheting off Ethan like rain on steel. In seconds, the barrage died down. Ethan had not moved an inch.

"Reckless," he muttered. He raised his hand, and a concentrated beam of light formed at his fingertips. It was a sight of pure, lethal intent—a red-hot Omega Ray.

In one searing instant, the ray swept across the room. Heroes and villains alike scattered, but many were too slow. A third of the crowd was caught in the blast, reduced to ashes that floated in the air like dust. The acrid scent of scorched flesh lingered in the silence that followed. The survivors stood stunned, paralyzed by the raw power of Ethan's attack.

"Those who want to survive, kneel," Ethan said coolly, his voice resonating through the hall.

Tony Stark, clad in his Iron Man armor, sank to his knees. J.A.R.V.I.S. had calculated the energy levels in the Omega Ray at over a million degrees Celsius. It had torn through armor as if it were paper.

The Ten Rings on Wenwu's arms began to glow, charging with power, as he took a defensive stance. Across the room, the Holy See's bald priest opened his Bible, and a shimmering light descended upon him as an Angelic figure emerged, blending with his form.

Count Dracula, now a shadowy mist with scarlet eyes glowing, prepared to unleash his full vampiric power.

Ethan watched as the surviving members of the Fantastic Four stood, battered but unbowed, their resolve hardened by the grim situation. Ethan loosened his tie and undid the buttons of his suit, looking almost amused. "Do you honestly believe you can win? The illusion of your own strength will be your undoing."

The next second, he moved with such blinding speed that he seemed to flicker. In an instant, his hand gripped the Thing's massive stone arm and twisted it until it shattered. With a single powerful kick, he sent the Human Torch flying. Mr. Fantastic tried to extend a hand to stop him, but Ethan simply swatted him aside, sending him crashing into the wall.

Wenwu leapt forward, his body enveloped in the golden power of the Ten Rings. He struck with a fierce Iron Wire Fist, his movements fueled by ancient techniques and centuries of battle experience.

But Ethan caught Wenwu's punch effortlessly. He tightened his grip, and with a sickening crunch, he tore Wenwu's arms off. The Ten Rings clattered to the ground, and Ethan calmly slipped them onto his own wrists. Wenwu's body, now nothing but frozen shards, fell to the floor as the cold power of Ethan's frozen fruit turned him to crystalline ice.

He turned to the others. "Next? The Angel or the vampire?"

On the top floor of the Empire State Building, only 3,000 people remained. But it was the Bald Priest and Count Dracula who truly held Ethan's attention. The Bald Priest, radiant with Angelic light, stood with an otherworldly power. Count Dracula, the ancient night king, was equally formidable, his malevolence radiating from his very being.

The room was silent as the Bald Priest raised his eyes to the heavens and made the sign of the cross. "Lord, I stand before evil incarnate. Grant me your divine strength to vanquish this wickedness!"

The Angel's wings unfurled, and the Bald Priest glowed with a holy light. Behind him, Ghost Rider, his skeletal frame engulfed in hellfire, took a step forward. The flames around him roared with vengeance.

Ethan watched with interest, amused by the irony of God and demon working side by side to face him. "So God fights demons to conquer other demons now?" he taunted. "Your desperation makes for strange allies."

But he did not give them time to respond. A black frost spread from his hand, enveloping Ghost Rider, freezing even the hellfire that blazed within his empty eye sockets. The spirit of vengeance let out a final, despairing cry before his bones shattered, falling to ash under Ethan's unyielding power.

Even as Ethan prepared to face the Bald Priest, he felt the tension in the room. Many heroes, while terrified, had not left, resolved to stand against him. Among them was Jessica Jones, her eyes calm and defiant as she leaned against a wall, watching him with something almost like admiration.

The Bald Priest's six Angelic wings spread wide, illuminating the room. He advanced, the light behind him like the dawn itself. But to Ethan, he was nothing more than a bright target.

With supernatural speed, he closed the distance, grabbing the priest's fist in mid-air, twisting his arm, and punching him directly in the heart. The divine light around him flickered. Ethan's fists blurred, each strike cracking bones, reducing the priest's once-mighty form to little more than shattered armor and broken wings. In a final act of defiance, the priest tried to summon his holy light, but Ethan's frozen power snuffed it out, his body turning to crystal as he fell silent.

At last, the radiant light that had filled the Empire State Building faded. The crowd opened their eyes, daring to look around. The Bald Priest's body lay shattered on the floor, his wings reduced to ice crystals.

In the silence, Ethan looked up and chuckled. "Oh, I see Count Dracula was smarter than the rest of you. He's already gone, retreating like a rat." Ethan could sense Dracula's presence fading as he fled New York entirely.

MR. Fantastic, bruised and bloodied, staggered to his feet. The Fantastic Four had barely survived. Ethan approached him, his voice calm but piercing. "Remember that I spared your life tonight. Each of you owes me a debt."

Reed Richards held Ethan's gaze, unable to argue. He knew it was true: Ethan had spared them when he didn't have to. And though it left a bitter taste, they could only nod, silent as the reality of their helplessness sank in.

READ 30 CHAPTERS AHEAD OF EVERYONE FOR ONLY $7!

LINK: patr eon.com/SenatusPopulus

ALSO CHECK MY OTHER PROJECTS!

Naruto: Masters of Strategy?