Chapter 270 The Last Stand V

Liam’s wings unfurled with a soft rustle, glowing faintly in the morning light. Then, without hesitation, he lunged forward like a bolt of lightning. His wings beat powerfully once and propelled him at incredible speed toward the burning man in front of him—the one everyone had just seen erupt into a living torch.

The man didn’t even have time to scream.

With a single devastating sweep, Liam slashed one of his wings across the man’s midsection. The edge cut through the burning aura, through flesh, through bone.

A moment of silence.

Then a sickening sound of tearing as the man’s flaming body split into two, both halves hitting the forest floor with a dull thud. The fire died instantly.

Gasps erupted from behind.

The ten Black Lotus members, still crouched behind makeshift cover from the first spear strike, stared in open disbelief. No one spoke. No one blinked. They had been fighting side by side with Liam for months now—many of them had seen him tear down the Crimson Hand’s soldiers like paper. They’d seen his strength, speed, and reflexes. But this? Wings? Slicing a powered enemy in half like fruit?

This was something else.

To them, Liam was already a legend—Lilith’s right hand, the wild card that always changed the tides in their favor. He had saved many of them more than once. But now? Now he had become something beyond. A symbol. A protector. A force of nature.

And they worshipped that.

Liam’s calm gaze swept across the battlefield as he hovered just above the ground, wings still outstretched, glowing faintly with the residue of divine energy. He didn’t speak. He didn’t need to. His presence alone was deafening.

Behind him, Lilith finally emerged from the safe house.

Her eyes immediately landed on the split corpse, then on Liam. Her mouth opened slightly, but she didn’t speak. The Black Lotus members weren’t even paying attention to her anymore. Their eyes were fixed on Liam, the same way believers stared at gods.

And that was when it hit her.

What has he done since he joined?

The words she had said earlier rang in her mind like an accusation directed at herself. Now, watching the awe on her men’s faces, seeing the power Liam had just casually unleashed, she realized how blind she’d been. How proud. And how wrong.

Liam’s head turned slightly, as if he’d sensed her thoughts.

He didn’t say anything—his focus was still on the remaining enemies. There were seven of them now, surrounding him with wide spacing. Each of them had different powers, and all of them looked nervous.

The one who had raised the energy shield earlier was a little further off, hanging behind the rest. Liam noticed it immediately.

Tactical support, he thought. Not combat ready. I’ll get to him later.

His wings gently folded behind him, but not all the way. He hovered just slightly above the forest floor, like a predator pacing silently before the kill.

Then, he moved.

His first target was obvious—the spear thrower. The one who had nearly taken out one of the Black Lotus soldiers earlier with that brutal, air-shattering strike.

That guy saw Liam coming. He raised his spear again, but before he could do anything, Liam appeared in front of him. There was no time to react.

Liam’s hand snatched the spear out of the man’s grip like it was a toy, snapping it in two with one twist of his wrist. Then he planted his foot into the man’s chest with such force that the poor bastard was launched backward.

The impact shook the trees behind them. A crack thundered through the woods as the man’s body slammed into a thick trunk, exploding the bark and sending debris flying. The tree didn’t fall—but it groaned deeply and splintered from the impact. Liam blinked in surprise.

Tough bastard, he thought. He’s got enhanced durability. Not enough though.

Before Liam could press the attack, the remaining six moved in.

From his left came a female with silver arms—cybernetic, glowing faintly. She moved with mechanical precision and brought both fists down at once, aiming for his back. From the right, another man shot out what looked like multiple tiny spikes of crystal. Behind them, two more circled to flank him while the last two seemed to charge up an attack.

Liam turned.

The cyber-fist woman was closest.

Her fists came down, but Liam rolled left, then twisted midair and slapped one of his wings across her face. She stumbled, gears clicking violently as her head snapped sideways. Liam grabbed her ankle mid-fall, spun her body, and launched her directly into one of the incoming flankers.

Their bodies slammed together and tumbled into a heap of broken branches and cursing pain.

The crystal spike guy fired his projectiles, but Liam folded his wings in front of him like a shield. The spikes shattered harmlessly, spraying the forest floor.

Another enemy tried to leap onto Liam from behind, aiming a glowing blade at the base of his neck, but Liam spun around mid-air and landed a punch to his attacker’s ribs that echoed like a drum. The man gasped and collapsed to his knees.

Liam’s breathing was steady. His eyes were calm.

—-

The man with the glowing blade wheezed as Liam’s punch caved in part of his ribs. He didn’t scream—his breath had already been stolen. His eyes rolled up before his body dropped sideways, limp.DING!+500 EXP

Liam didn’t even blink at the sound. His eyes were locked onto the next attacker—one of the two charging up a blast. This one had glowing blue veins running down his arms, crackling with unstable energy, and Liam could see it: the man was trying to channel something volatile—probably plasma or lightning.

Liam didn’t give him the time to finish.

He launched himself forward, twisting low to avoid a returning spike from the crystal user. His foot slammed into the ground, kicking up a whirlwind of dust and dead leaves. Before the blue-veined man could react, Liam was already in front of him.

He punched him in the chest—clean, hard, and fast.

There was a sudden burst of light as the unstable energy in the man’s chest detonated from the impact, sending a controlled shockwave rolling across the clearing. The man’s body flew back like a ragdoll, slamming into a tree, twitching from residual currents.

DING!+500 EXP

Liam turned with a sharp pivot just in time to see the second power-charger—this one with molten orange eyes—leap toward him. He didn’t charge energy; he was energy. His skin shimmered like lava, and his fists looked like they were burning from the inside out.

A heavy punch flew toward Liam’s chest, but he sidestepped it and brought his knee up. It collided with the man’s stomach—metallic and hot—but Liam didn’t stop. He twisted, grabbed him by the arm, and swung him hard into the ground. The man bounced once.

Liam grabbed his flaming neck, ignoring the heat, and slammed his fist into the man’s head with enough force to cause a crater beneath him.

The man didn’t get up.

DING!+500 EXP

A blur of silver rushed behind him. The cyber-arm woman was back on her feet, blood streaming from her forehead, her arms now fully transformed—blades extended from her elbows, turning her into a living weapon. She hissed in rage, then spun into a vicious flurry of strikes.

Liam ducked, blocked, parried—her speed was immense. For a second, she seemed faster than even Liam had been. But speed alone wasn’t enough.

He slid under her final slash, then slammed his wing forward—not to slash, but to blind. The light from his feathers flared just for a second, disorienting her.

In that moment of blindness, Liam shot up behind her, grabbed her cybernetic neck, and twisted with brutal force.

The snap echoed in the silence.

She dropped.

DING!+500 EXP

Now there were only two left: the spear-thrower—who had risen again, bloodied but still growling—and the crystal spike man, who was desperately backing away now, shards forming again on his forearms.

Liam didn’t let them plan.

He dashed toward the spike user. The man launched the spikes too late—Liam’s wings folded like a shell again, the spikes pinged off with no effect. Liam lunged, both feet off the ground, and slammed into the guy midair.

The two crashed into a tree, but only Liam stood up afterward.

The spike man groaned, still breathing. Liam narrowed his eyes.

Then he stabbed his wing once—quick, precise, clean—through the man’s chest.

He stopped breathing.

DING!+500 EXP

Liam turned, covered in dust, blood, smoke, and sweat. Only one remained now. The spear-thrower.

This man was different. Tougher. The way he’d taken that earlier impact and still stood... there was something deeply wrong about him. Like a shell inside a human.

Liam moved slowly this time. He didn’t rush him.

The man didn’t throw the spear. He gripped it tight, turning it like a blade, and stepped forward. His cracked lips pulled into a grin.

"I’m not like the others," he rasped. "You’ll see."

Liam didn’t respond. He stepped forward too. Both of them circled each other slowly now.

Then the man lunged.

His spear moved in an upward arc, aiming for Liam’s gut. Liam slapped it aside with a flick of his wrist, then retaliated with a fast jab to the man’s side. The man didn’t flinch. Instead, he twisted and elbowed Liam in the face.

Liam staggered back, surprised.

The man rushed again.

Liam kicked forward, but the man caught his leg. He spun Liam midair and slammed him into the dirt with a boom. Liam’s wings snapped open, cushioning the blow, and with a growl he spun to his feet again.

The two clashed—fist, wing, spear, elbow—each blow sending shockwaves through the air.

Liam weaved between the vicious sweeps of the man’s spear, the air around the weapon hissing as it sliced through with terrifying speed. Every thrust carried the weight of inhuman strength—this wasn’t just brute force. This was someone hardened beyond reason, and trained to kill.

The spear came low, aiming for Liam’s knee. He jumped back, the blade grazing his pants. The moment his foot touched the ground, Liam pushed forward again, his wing slicing across at a diagonal. But the man blocked it with the shaft of the spear, the metal singing from the impact. He didn’t flinch. Instead, he twisted, using the deflection to slam his elbow into Liam’s ribs.

The hit connected with a dull thud.

Liam grunted, staggering back a step.

Before he could recover, the man followed up with a spinning sweep of his spear. Liam ducked under it just in time, but the motion kicked up dirt and leaves, obscuring his vision. The man used that moment—he surged forward, the butt of his spear slamming into Liam’s stomach, forcing the air out of him.

Then came a brutal uppercut.

It connected with Liam’s jaw, jerking his head back. Pain jolted through his skull. He stumbled again, disoriented, his vision briefly flashing white.

This guy wasn’t just tough—he was tactical. Controlled. Precise.

But Liam had been through worse.

He spat to the side, flexed his wings once, and his body shot backward through the air, gaining space. He hovered a few feet above the ground now, his eyes locked on his opponent.

The man smirked, spinning the spear in his hand once like it weighed nothing. "What? That all you’ve got?" he taunted.

Liam’s answer came in silence.

His wings flared open—and then he shot forward like a missile.

The spear came again, but this time Liam didn’t dodge it. He caught it. His hands clamped around the metal pole mid-thrust, and sparks flew as friction bit between his skin and the weapon. The force nearly knocked him off balance, but he held steady. His wings beat once, and he twisted, using the momentum to wrench the weapon sideways—ripping it out of the man’s hands.

The spear clattered to the ground.

The man’s eyes widened—but only for a second.

Then Liam’s punch connected.

It was an explosive uppercut, powerful enough to lift the man clean off his feet. The blow lifted him into the air, but Liam wasn’t done. He followed instantly, his wings beating hard as he met the man mid-air and slammed his knee into his back, curving his spine with sickening force.

The man roared in pain—but still, he grabbed Liam by the throat.

His hands were like steel vices, squeezing hard, refusing to die easy.

Liam choked slightly—but then his wings folded backward, then snapped forward like a whip.

Slash!

The edge of one wing tore across the man’s shoulder, slicing deep. Blood sprayed.

He screamed—but didn’t let go.

Liam growled and headbutted him, cracking the man’s nose and loosening his grip. The two fell together, and as they neared the ground, Liam twisted mid-air, grabbed the man’s leg, and spun—

Then drove him down like a meteor.

The impact thundered across the woods. The earth cracked, leaves launched skyward, and a small crater formed where the man’s body hit.

Silence.

Then—unbelievably—the man groaned, pushing up with trembling arms. His face was bloody, barely recognizable, his bones cracked in several places—but he was still trying to stand.

Liam dropped to the ground beside him.

No hesitation.

Both wings pierced through the man’s chest, nailing him to the dirt.

The man gasped—once—and then he finally stilled.

DING!+500 EXP

Liam pulled his wings free.

That one... had actually put up a fight.

Liam exhaled, straightening slowly. Blood and ash clung to his skin and wings. His breathing was deep, not out of exhaustion—but out of focus. His body ached. His mind buzzed.

He looked up.

Only one remained.

The shield bearer.

The man was on his knees now, visibly trembling. He had watched his entire team fall—each with powers that should have made them gods. And yet Liam, with those glowing white wings, had brought them all down without a single scratch.

He dropped his shield emitter.

His hands shook.

"Please..." he whispered. "Spare me. I was just following orders."

Liam stared at him.

The forest was dead quiet.

****

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