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Although Homelander said that, he was actually somewhat anxious.
Because the cameras of The Daily Bugle and Vought News Network had already secretly aimed at the entire studio hall.
This was also the fundamental reason why Homelander ultimately decided to choose this studio hall as the location for the "war"… it was convenient for filming!
After all, it had been hyped up for several days, and if he didn't capitalize on this immense traffic, wouldn't he be losing out big time?
However, to prevent any unfavorable or unknown information from being leaked during the battle, Homelander specifically requested The Daily Bugle to mute the sound, meaning only the visuals could be broadcast live.
And before the battle, Homelander had personally informed Spider-Woman not to be late, and she had readily agreed on the phone.
So he didn't believe she would break her promise at such an important moment, unless something unexpected happened on her way here?
Wait a minute?
Could it be… Spider-Woman was intercepted by the accomplices of these guys?
You know what, with Billy Butcher's personality, that possibility is quite high!
Thinking of this, Homelander's gaze towards Billy Butcher and the others gradually turned fierce.
Alright, alright, alright, you're deliberately trying to make me look bad, aren't you?
Today, I'll settle scores with all of you!
At this moment, Billy Butcher's smile on the opposite side also gradually froze.
But just as he was about to exchange more verbal jabs, Soldier Boy spoke up, "I heard them say Black Noir is dead?"
"That's right."
Homelander nodded noncommittally, "A few months ago, he was killed by a useless blind man in Hell's Kitchen… But even if he hadn't died then, I would have already slaughtered him by now."
"Why?"
Soldier Boy and the others all showed confused expressions on their faces.
"Because he deceived me, and I had always treated him like family before this."
Homelander looked at Soldier Boy, spread his hands, and said, "Being betrayed by a trusted teammate really doesn't feel good. I suppose that's why you're so determined to kill all the members of the Blood Debt Repayment Squad, right?"
"Indeed."
Soldier Boy nodded in agreement, then said with a slightly complex gaze, "Son, we finally meet. I regret that I missed your growth, that I couldn't raise you myself, teach you, lead by example…
However, now I can only apologize to you here. Even if you are my son, with my blood flowing in your veins, I always keep my promises…"
He lifted his chin and gestured towards Billy Butcher beside him, "I promised that bastard I'd take you down, and I will definitely fulfill that today, so… don't blame me!"
"Is that so? It seems he's the real boss."
Homelander's face showed a hint of mockery, his heart not at all affected by Soldier Boy's recent cold words.
Because after becoming Slaanesh's Chosen, family affection was no longer what he craved most… All he pursued now was ultimate pleasure!!!
And this feeling could only be satisfied through slaughter and traffic, so… a mere "long-lost wild father" wants to disturb my dao heart?
"I have to say, you're truly f*cking disappointing!"
Homelander looked at Soldier Boy with a disdainful gaze, and said coldly, "I can't believe I used to look up to you when I was little. I've watched all the movies you've been in, and even before today, I still thought we were the same kind of person. You were the only superhero almost as strong as me… But I never expected you to obey the orders of a stupid ordinary person?"
"He's nothing, at most he's just a little ant that I could crush to death at any time… Oh, right, I remember now, he's also a simp and a cuckold!"
Homelander's face suddenly showed a wicked smirk, then he turned his gaze to Billy Butcher and said, "I know why you've always been so keen on going against me. It must all be because of your wife, right?"
"Tsk tsk, your heart rate is accelerating, and your breathing is becoming erratic. This proves I guessed correctly…"
"Since that's the case, then today I might as well tell you the truth of what happened that day… Actually, that day your wife actively seduced me, and I've always been one to never refuse a woman who comes to me willingly…
"Didn't you try everything to get Ryan back from me before? I eventually granted your wish and sent that weak little brat back to you… How have you two, father and son, been getting along recently?"
"Homelander, I f*ck you #%￥*&*"
Billy Butcher was completely enraged by those words, no longer able to suppress the anger surging in his heart. He rushed directly in front of Homelander and threw an old punch, but his fist was easily caught by Homelander's raised palm.
Bang—
Homelander sent Billy Butcher flying with a kick, and their exchange seemed to blow the horn signaling the start of the battle.
Kimiko immediately pounced on Queen Maeve like a hungry wolf.
And Hughie Campbell, seeing that his side had the numerical advantage, instantly teleported to the broadcast room.
He wanted to use the building's communication system to notify the employees still working overtime to evacuate the building quickly.
Because the upcoming battle could very likely level the entire building!!
"Hey, kid, you don't actually think you're very strong, do you?"
Soldier Boy stepped towards Homelander, and before officially starting, he couldn't help but tease, "True strong people never wear capes, even if the pattern on it is the Stars and Stripes…
Even if you were created using my sperm, in my eyes, you're nothing more than an inferior knockoff."
"No, you're wrong." Homelander grinned and shook his head, "I'm the strongest upgraded version!!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Homelander flew forward and grabbed Soldier Boy's neck, then his eyes glowed with red laser beams, which shot straight into the center of Soldier Boy's forehead.
However, the laser beam, powerful enough to melt steel, failed to blow off Soldier Boy's head this time. It only left slight burn marks on his skin before being successfully interrupted by a skilled uppercut from the latter.
Bang, bang, bang—
Right straight punch, left hook, uppercut to the jaw, knee to the gut, downward elbow smash to the head… The battle-hardened Soldier Boy's combo not only disrupted Homelander's offensive rhythm but also sent him flying far away.
"Tch, a knockoff is a knockoff. Is all your strength concentrated in your mouth?"
Facing Soldier Boy's merciless mockery, Homelander responded directly with two laser beams, then, taking advantage of the brief moment when Soldier Boy's vision was obscured by raising his shield to block, he flew forward and, with a Superhuman punch, actually split the heavy shield, which had been glowing red from the laser, into two halves.
"F*ck, you shield b*tch."
Homelander successively caught the fists Soldier Boy threw at him, and said fiercely, "You really made me wait for a while just now, but that's all there is to it!"
Bang—
Homelander kicked Soldier Boy, sending him flying.
"What a pity, you chose the wrong side? I originally planned to invite you to join The Seven and grow stronger with me… But now it seems you're not worthy!"
"Hey, bastard!"
But just as Homelander was about to launch a new round of attacks, Billy Butcher's voice suddenly came from behind him.
Homelander turned his head in surprise, only to see that Billy Butcher was standing there completely unharmed, and a look of confusion appeared on his face.
He clearly remembered that he hadn't held back at all with that kick just now. An ordinary person, if kicked like that, would be severely injured or in shock, even if they didn't die on the spot.
But that damned cuckold on the opposite side was grinning triumphantly at him as if nothing had happened.
However, before he could figure out the problem, Billy Butcher's eyes suddenly shot out a beam of orange-yellow laser light!
Bang—
Caught off guard, Homelander was directly sent flying.
Σ(⊙▽⊙"a???
"WTF???"
Homelander quickly flipped over and stood up, glancing at the large hole blasted into his battle suit's chest by that last attack. He looked at the triumphant Billy Butcher opposite him with a bewildered expression, "How the f*ck do you have superpowers?"
But before the other party could answer, he recalled Ashley Barrett's previous report and suddenly realized:
"You stole the unreleased Temporary Compound V from Vought Corporation's laboratory?"
"Bingo."
Seeing the surprise and anger on Homelander's face, Billy Butcher couldn't help but feel incredibly smug. He had never seen such an expression on Homelander's face before.
"To deal with you, you bastard, I had no choice but to choose a path that would completely destroy me!"
"Hmph, getting cocky, are you really patting yourself on the back?" Homelander recovered from his initial surprise and said with a sneer:
"The fact that you got Temporary Compound V means there's a mole within Vought Corporation… Tell me who that person is, and I promise not to take it out on your other relatives after I kill you!"
However, what responded to him was Billy Butcher's angry punch.
Bang—
The punch landed squarely on Homelander's face, but he showed no intention of dodging whatsoever. Then, he too threw a punch at Billy Butcher.
Billy Butcher was the same, not dodging or evading, taking the punch with his face!
After injecting Temporary Compound V, he gained laser eyes comparable to Homelander's, as well as equally strong physical durability.
And Billy Butcher wanted to tell Homelander, through this direct, head-on confrontation, that he was no longer the weakling who was powerless to stop Homelander's outrageous behavior.
Bang, bang, bang—
Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle—
Two laser beams, one red and one orange, collided violently in front of the two men.
Fist to fist, eye to eye!
The two men, long-standing enemies, then unleashed the pent-up fury in their hearts with the most primitive and brutal fighting style, through blood and fire.
However, as the battle continued, Billy Butcher's offensive quickly shifted from an initial proactive assault to a passive defense.
There was no other way; although he now possessed superpowers, they were acquired later in life and had a very short time limit.
So, while his initial performance in the battle seemed intimidating, it was essentially like Cheng Yaojin's three-strike routine. With careful observation, one could see that he couldn't effectively utilize these superpowers in combat.
Homelander, however, was completely different.
Since his superpowers were innate, he had achieved a nearly perfect synergy with them throughout his long growth process.
Therefore, he used them with extreme ease and skill in combat.
This disparity wasn't obvious at the beginning of the fight, but it became increasingly clear as the battle continued.
However, Billy Butcher had clearly anticipated this, which was why he had gone to such lengths to find Soldier Boy.
"Hey, kid, who are you looking down on?!"
Soldier Boy, taking advantage of the moment the two were clashing beams, rushed over, grabbed Homelander's Stars and Stripes cape from behind, then spun him 360 degrees on the spot, throwing him directly against the opposite wall.
Then, he quickly moved forward, and with Billy Butcher, one on each side, they unleashed a barrage of violent punches on Homelander.
The scales of victory consequently tilted in their favor.
"Damn it, why isn't that accursed Spider-Woman here yet?!"
On the other side, Queen Maeve, who was fighting Kimiko, couldn't help but show a look of anxiety as she saw Homelander in a predicament under the pincer attack of the two.
However, even if she wanted to go and help, Kimiko was like a clingy dog-skin plaster, constantly harassing her with attacks.
In terms of actual combat experience and personal fighting ability, Kimiko was no match for Queen Maeve.
But Kimiko's super healing ability, comparable to Wolverine's, gave Queen Maeve a constant headache.
So, Queen Maeve, unable to free herself for a moment, could only place her hopes on Spider-Woman, who had not yet arrived.
But what she didn't know was that Spider-Gwen was also currently in an extremely difficult battle!
Five minutes ago.
In an alley a few blocks away from the Vought Corporation building, a "strange wind" first directly blew Gwen, who was swinging forward using her webs in mid-air, down to the ground.
Then, Lizard Peter, who was running at full speed below, suddenly crashed into a hard earth wall that abruptly rose from the ground, forcing him to stop.
"Hehehe, I finally caught you, little bug!!"