✨CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO — SECOND FORM: CELESTIAL WARFRAME✨
For a moment, the rooftop felt too quiet.
No wind.
No sirens.
Not even the usual distant groans of wandering undead below.
Just a heavy, electric tension…
as something vast pushed its presence through the clouds.
Dara slowly raised a hand toward the sky.
"Uh… guys? That cloud has muscles."
A massive shadow descended—
a towering humanoid silhouette made of silver plates and shifting runic light.
The Celestial Warframe.
It landed on the rooftop with a thunderous WHOOOM, collapsing an entire wing of the building in the process.
The roof shuddered, and Maya had to throw out a stabilizing circle of starlight to keep them from sliding off with the rubble.
Aiden's eyes widened slightly.
"…Okay. That's new."
The original Sky Hunter—small, efficient, lethal—stepped forward and merged into the Warframe's chest plate like a pilot syncing with armor.
The Warframe's eyes flared blinding white.
"SECOND FORM:
CELESTIAL WARFRAME — ACTIVE."
Dara peeked over the shattered AC unit.
"This is some FINAL BOSS nonsense, I swear."
Maya wasn't joking.
"This isn't a normal form change. Its power increases exponentially—three, maybe four times."
The Warframe lifted an arm the size of a car.
Aiden raised his fists.
"Good. Saves me warm-up time."
The Warframe moved.
Not slow.
Not clumsy.
Not what its size suggested.
It flickered forward with a burst of silver thrusters—
SNAP-STRIKE!
A massive palm slammed toward Aiden.
Aiden crossed his arms—
took the hit—
and was launched across the entire rooftop, crashing through a ventilation unit and rolling out the other side.
"AIDEN!" Maya shouted.
Aiden coughed once and stood, wiping blood from the corner of his lip.
"Okay. It hits like a truck.
A celestial truck."
The Warframe raised its other hand.
Sigils lit up along its forearm—
and a wide, curved blade of pure heavenly energy formed from wrist to elbow.
Dara's eyes popped.
"Bro that's not a sword.
That's a full building permit to commit murder."
The Warframe swung.
The rooftop tore in half.
A white arc of energy carved through steel, stone, and air—
one clean line.
Aiden darted aside just in time, but the shockwave still smashed into him, sending him skidding.
Maya threw a hand up.
"Starlight Anchor!"
A glowing rune dragged Aiden's feet back to the ground, stopping him from flying off the building.
He nodded.
"Good call."
"I know," Maya said.
The Warframe turned toward Maya.
"Secondary target: extreme threat level.
Elimination recommended."
A massive cannon formed along its shoulder, celestial plates shifting and locking into a rotating star-barrel.
Maya froze.
"That's—"
"Aiden!" Dara yelled. "Do something! That looks like it shoots regret and orphanhood!"
Aiden sprinted.
The cannon charged.
A white-hot sphere spiraled inside it, humming with annihilation-level force.
"FIRING."
Aiden lunged—
grabbed Maya—
and threw both of them sideways just as—
KRRRRAAAAAAAAASHHH—!!!
The beam annihilated the entire rooftop edge, vaporizing thirty meters of building.
The blast carved a hole straight through three floors and out the west side, leaving molten concrete dripping like candle wax.
Smoke. Heat. Falling debris.
Dara coughed through the dust.
"That beam just deleted architecture."
Aiden set Maya down.
"You okay?"
She nodded, breath shaking.
"Thank you."
The Warframe rotated its cannon back toward them.
Aiden's eyes narrowed.
"Alright. That thing's too dangerous."
He planted his foot—
gold energy spiraling up his arms, burning hotter, faster.
Heavenly Ascent — Rising Pulse: Second Release
The roof cracked beneath him.
Dara dove behind a chunk of broken wall.
"Maya! Maya he's going full microwaved-lion mode again!"
Maya didn't blink.
"He'll need it."
Aiden clenched both fists.
The golden aura around him sharpened—no longer mist or flame, but a focused jet of rising spiritual force.
He glared at the Warframe.
"Come on, then."
The Warframe stepped forward.
The ground bent under its weight.
"ENGAGING MAXIMUM COMBAT OUTPUT."
The rooftop trembled.
Aiden did the same.
Two forces—gold and silver—lit the entire city skyline like a miniature sun preparing to split in half.
Aiden lowered his stance.
The Warframe raised its blade.
Both spoke at once.
"Let's finish this."