✨CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE — FINAL FORM: HEAVEN VS ASCENT✨
The rooftop glowed gold on one side, silver on the other—
like someone sliced dawn and dusk in half and forced them to fight.
Aiden exhaled once.
The Warframe's thrusters flared.
For a heartbeat, everything paused.
Then—
BOOOOM—!!!
Both shot forward.
The Warframe swung its massive energy blade—
Aiden ducked under, sparks raining as the blade shaved a chunk of concrete clean off the roof.
Aiden countered with a golden uppercut—
It landed square in the Warframe's chest plate.
The air around them detonated.
The Warframe slid back three meters, feet digging trenches in the rooftop.
Dara pumped a fist.
"Aiden just punched a building that punches back!"
The Warframe responded instantly.
"ADAPTIVE RESPONSE: FORCE MULTIPLIED."
Its next strike hit twice as hard—
Aiden blocked, but the impact blasted him into a damaged billboard.
Maya's voice cut through the dust.
"Aiden—its armor is adjusting faster now. You'll need to break it before it learns your limit!"
"I'm not at my limit."
He stood from the rubble, golden light flickering like embers around him.
The Warframe lowered into a ready stance.
Runes lit across its limbs, humming like a living engine.
Then—
It vanished.
Aiden's eyes widened.
Too fast—
A massive silver fist appeared beside his jaw—
Aiden twisted at the last instant.
The punch grazed him and demolished the entire billboard behind him.
He leapt backward, breathing harder.
Maya shouted:
"Aiden! Its speed isn't natural anymore. It's shifting micro-vectors—teleporting tiny distances!"
Dara blinked.
"In English?!"
"IT'S CHEATING!" Maya snapped.
The Warframe teleported again—
this time above Aiden.
Aiden crossed his arms—
CRAAASH—!!
The celestial blade slammed him into the rooftop, carving a crater ten meters wide.
Maya reached toward him.
"Aiden!"
The Warframe didn't let up.
It thrust its glowing blade downward—
aimed to pin Aiden to the roof like a bug.
A flash of gold exploded upward.
Aiden grabbed the blade with both hands—
feet digging into the crackling rooftop.
His muscles shook—
the golden aura roaring around him like a waking star.
The Warframe pressed harder.
"STRENGTH CHECK: YOU ARE OUTMATCHED."
Aiden gritted his teeth.
"Nobody asked you."
He pushed.
The golden aura flared—
not just around him, but under his skin.
Maya's eyes widened.
"He's—he's pushing past the First Gate's limit—!"
Dara ducked behind debris.
"Is that safe!?"
"No!"
Aiden roared—
Heavenly Ascent — BREAKTHROUGH SURGE
The golden energy didn't just glow—
it spiked, forming jagged pillars around him.
He shoved the Warframe's blade upward—
the entire machine staggered.
Aiden blurred forward—
BAM—!!
A punch to the torso.
BOOM—!!
A rising knee to the jaw.
WHAM—!!
A spinning elbow to the chest.
Each hit cracked armor, denting plates that weren't supposed to dent.
Dara's jaw dropped.
"My guy is beating premium alien titanium like it owes him rent!"
The Warframe reeled.
Then—
its core plate opened.
A swirling sphere of pure celestial energy formed inside.
Maya gasped.
"Aiden—MOVE! That's its internal reactor! If it fires that—"
"NEUTRALIZATION PROTOCOL: STARFALL."
The core blasted open—
a beam of silver plasma screaming toward Aiden.
Aiden didn't dodge.
He stepped forward.
Right into the beam.
Maya screamed.
"NO—!!"
But Aiden's voice cut through the light.
"Not… enough."
The golden aura wrapped around him—
compressing, condensing—
Then—
It exploded outward.
Aiden emerged from the blast, golden fist pulled back.
The Warframe tried to raise an arm—
Too slow.
Aiden punched straight into the open core.
KRRRRAAAAAAAAAACK—!!!
A sound like heaven itself breaking filled the city.
The Warframe froze—
runic lights flickering—
body trembling.
Aiden landed on the roof, panting hard but standing tall.
Behind him, the Warframe staggered once—
Twice—
Then collapsed to one knee.
"CORE…FAILED.
MISSION…COMP—"
It didn't finish.
A surge of golden energy ripped through its armor—
and the entire Warframe shattered, pieces dissolving into silver dust that blew away on the rooftop wind.
Silence.
Dara stood slowly.
"…We won?"
Aiden exhaled.
"Yeah."
Maya walked to him, steadying him before he fell.
"You took down a Class-Seraph Warframe," she said softly. "That's impossible."
Aiden gave a tired half-smirk.
"Guess I didn't get the memo."
Before they could breathe—
A tremor rippled through the air.
Maya's face went pale.
"Oh no…"
Dara backed up.
"Don't say 'oh no'—why are you saying 'oh no'—"
Maya pointed at the sky.
New cracks formed.
Wider.
Brighter.
Multiple.
Aiden narrowed his eyes.
"How many…?"
Maya swallowed hard.
"Three."
Another tremor.
"Three Seraph-level signatures."
Aiden tightened his fists.
"Okay."
He stepped forward.
"Round Two"