As Axel suddenly appeared in the arena, the entire crowd erupted.
Students leapt to their feet, shouting wildly.
"Kill him!" "He's dead!" "Golden Boy's going to crush him!" "That intruder is finished!" "He's going to get torn apart!"
The noise rolled through the arena like a wave.
Axel glanced around with a faint smile.
To his left, Golden Boy's expression froze in shock, but his body was already moving too fast to stop. Flames burned across him as he charged straight at Axel.
To his right, Jordan, in her female form, stared at her hands in horror. The shockwave she had already released was powerful enough to send hundreds of tons flying.
From their perspective, Axel was about to be caught in the crossfire and killed instantly.
Axel noticed their expressions and gave a small nod.
Compared to the so-called heroes of The Seven, these students still had some restraint. They were flawed, but not completely rotten.
He raised both hands.
His left hand shot forward and gripped Golden Boy's neck mid-charge. At the same time, his right hand struck directly into Jordan's incoming shockwave.
A loud explosion rang out.
The shockwave shattered instantly.
Without slowing down, Axel carried Golden Boy forward and closed the distance to Jordan in a single step.
Jordan barely had time to react.
Golden Boy was still struggling, his flames burning wildly, when Axel swung his body like a weapon and slammed him straight into Jordan.
The impact was brutal.
Jordan was sent flying backward, completely losing control of her body.
At the same time, Axel extended his right hand and pulled.
An invisible force dragged Jordan back toward him.
In the next second, she was caught in his grip, held firmly by the back of her neck.
Golden Boy continued to struggle, throwing elbows and kicks, his flames spreading onto Axel's body. His clothes burned away quickly under the heat.
For a brief moment, Axel stood there shirtless, completely unfazed.
In the audience, Emma stared in stunned silence, her thoughts racing with excitement.
Before she could take in much more, a thin gray mist formed around Axel's waist and solidified into a pair of pants, cutting off her view.
Around her, several disappointed murmurs rose from the crowd.
Back in the arena, Axel brought both hands together.
He slammed Golden Boy and Jordan's heads into each other.
A dull impact echoed.
Both of them went limp instantly.
Axel gave them a brief glance, then shook their unconscious bodies once before tossing them aside.
"Clean them up."
He waved casually at the nearby staff.
Then he turned to the audience, raised his hands, and clapped loudly above his head.
"Nice to meet you. I am the Ancestor."
His voice carried clearly across the arena.
"I will be replacing Lamplighter in The Seven. So go ahead, cheer."
He paused briefly, then smiled.
"And one more thing. I am also replacing Homelander as the captain of The Seven."
The reaction was immediate.
Shock spread through the crowd, followed quickly by loud boos.
Many of the students were loyal fans of Homelander. This announcement did not sit well with them.
Axel listened to the growing noise without concern. He slipped his hands into his pockets and looked toward the southwest side of the arena.
A figure approached along the path.
Soldier Boy.
He walked forward steadily, eyes locked on Axel. As he got closer, he raised his hand and gave him the middle finger.
Axel let out a quiet laugh and returned the gesture with both hands.
The students followed his gaze and quickly recognized the newcomer.
"That's Soldier Boy!" "He's alive?" "I've seen him in old war films!" "What is happening today?"
Murmurs turned into shouts.
Soldier Boy reached the edge of the arena, brushed past security, then leaped forward.
He crossed the distance in an instant and landed heavily in front of Axel.
The ground cracked beneath him.
He straightened up slowly, shield in hand, then glanced around at the stunned crowd.
"Kids these days have it easy," he said.
"In my time, they barely had enough to eat. No one sat around watching performances like this. They watched heroes like me in war footage."
He turned his attention fully to Axel.
"You are nowhere near my level."
Axel stepped forward until they stood face to face.
He leaned in slightly, locking eyes with Soldier Boy.
"You never fought at Normandy. You shot footage in a studio."
His voice remained steady.
"And Berlin? You walked through it after it was already surrendered."
The reaction was instant.
Soldier Boy's expression twisted with anger. He swung his hand and struck Axel across the face.
The sound echoed sharply.
Axel did not move.
His hand came up and caught Soldier Boy's wrist mid-motion.
At the same time, Axel's other hand lashed out.
A powerful shockwave burst from the impact as his palm slammed into Soldier Boy's face.
The air rippled outward.
Soldier Boy's head snapped to the side, his body forced back half a step.
He slowly straightened, his expression dark and intense.
"Maybe the past is full of lies," he said, his voice low.
"But one thing is real."
His grip tightened on his shield.
"Forty years of torture. Forty years of pain. Forty years of being controlled. I survived all of it."
His gaze hardened.
"You think that does not make me a hero?"
He took a step forward.
"Not anymore."
His voice rose.
"I endured everything they threw at me and gave them nothing in return."
He pointed directly at Axel.
"Listen carefully. I am a true hero."