Published at 14th of January 2026 8:28 am

Chapter 1683 Fight For Freedom

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A large, radiating energy had begun to pour out of Unzoku, saturating the air with a suffocating pressure. It almost looked like it was seeping out of his very pores, manifesting as a thick, crimson mist that rapidly filled the cavern. The feeling made everyone present shudder involuntarily. It wasn’t just a sense of overwhelming power, which they were used to; it was something far more sinister. It felt like they had stepped into a dimension or a realm where they simply weren't meant to exist, a place where the laws of nature were being twisted.

"Stick to the plan, go now!" Bliss shouted at the top of her lungs.

She stomped her staff violently onto the stone floor. A ripple of magical force exploded outward, and part of the oppressive red energy around them was repelled for a brief, crucial moment. Taking advantage of the opening, the first two to move forward were Lenny and Bluebird, dashing into the fray.

The influence of Unzoku was known to work particularly well against Jack and Steve due to their nature. If Unzoku were to fight those two directly while using his mind-controlling powers, he could likely put a stop to them rather quickly. That was why the vanguard had to distract him. There was just a little more setup needed for the medallion to work effectively on Steve to counter this.

"Steve, brace yourself! This is going to hurt a little!" Bliss called out.

She held the heavy medallion firmly in her hand. With a quick, practiced motion, she twisted the outer ring of the artifact. Immediately after, she slammed it into Steve's back with surprising force, almost embedding the metal directly into his skin.

Steve fell to his knees in an instant, a guttural groan escaping his lips. The center of the artifact, which bore the marking of a Wolf, started to glow with an intense, blinding light.

"All Werewolves are connected in some way; that is how Unzoku is able to control you to a degree in the first place!" Bliss explained, her voice straining as she maintained the spell. "But this power he controls the others with is not completely his own! Use your will, Steve! Fight against the control for all of your kind!"

Immediately, Steve could feel the urge rising within him, bubbling up like boiling magma. It was the same primal urge and power surge he had felt when he first turned into an Alpha, but amplified ten-fold. His eyes snapped open, turning a deep, blood-red. It wasn't just his pupils; the whites of his eyes were consumed by the crimson tide as well.

As the red mist pouring from Unzoku tried to snake its way toward Bliss to stop her, she continued to use her own magic to fend it off, creating a barrier of light. While all of this chaos was unfolding, the three observers, Gary, Kai, and the others, were staying in the back, watching every movement intently.

Lenny flung out his hands, and a jagged aura of red energy shot straight out at Unzoku. It was a fast, vicious attack, but Unzoku didn't even flinch. With his two fists, he easily swung his arms, smashing through the energy projection as if it were made of glass. Unzoku then leapt from his position, the ground cracking beneath his launch, heading straight for Lenny.

Lenny braced himself, but before Unzoku could reach him, a sword came swinging down at the perfect moment. It was targeted precisely to hit the arm that was stretched out by Unzoku.

Bluebird had stepped in. Since he knew exactly how hard this fight was going to be, he wasn’t limiting himself or trying to hide his capabilities. He was utilizing his Qi to its maximum potential, and he was using his unique vision of the 'White Lines' to act. He saw the trajectory of the attack before it happened.

The blade hit Unzoku’s wrist with a loud clash. It didn't sever the limb, but it allowed the attack to veer off course, causing Unzoku to miss grabbing Lenny by mere inches.

However, Unzoku was angered by the interference. In a fluid motion, he lifted his leg and delivered a devastating kick to Bluebird’s chest. The force sent Bluebird flinging through the air like a ragdoll, crashing into the cavern wall with enough force to shake the entire chamber. Dust and debris rained down from the ceiling.

"All of you are just annoying flies!" Unzoku shouted, his voice echoing with disdain. He turned his attention back to the vampire, ready to attack Lenny in particular first.

In that brief moment that Bluebird had saved him, Lenny had moved away, creating distance. He continued to try and strike from afar, this time firing out a concentrated beam of energy from his palm that slammed into Unzoku’s body. It hit the outside of his skin for a moment, sizzling against the flesh, but Unzoku just flexed his muscles. The sheer physical pressure extended outward slightly and shattered the red aura in an instant.

"UNZOKU! YOU WILL PAY FOR THREATENING MY FAMILY!" Jack shouted, his voice booming like thunder.

When Unzoku turned to look at who was shouting, he could see Jack, fully transformed. The large Werewolf stood there, radiating distinct power. He gripped the massive war hammer in his hands, and a thick, heavy aura was covering his entire body. He was finally using the special power of the Demon Tier beast weapon he held.

Bluebird peeled himself off the wall, groaning slightly. Although he had been hit hard, over the years he had acquired high-level beast gear for his body. The armor had absorbed the brunt of the impact, allowing him to survive a hit from a monster like Unzoku.

Seeing the charging Werewolf, Unzoku didn’t feel fear. Instead, he held out his hand, palm open, ready to pause Jack’s movements mentally and stop him dead in his tracks. He pushed his will forward, expecting the wolf to freeze.

But when he tried, he saw Jack still moving toward him, picking up speed.

‘My powers…’ Unzoku thought, his eyes widening slightly. ‘They're not working…’

Unzoku glanced past the charging beast and could see Steve and the Celestial doing something in the back. It was subtle, the energy resonating between them, but now he was realizing what the meddling woman had done. She had jammed the frequency.

With full force, Jack swung the war hammer right down on top of Unzoku.

The impact was cataclysmic. It hit his body with everything Jack had, driving Unzoku downward. The force caused Unzoku's legs to enter the solid ground beneath him, burying him to his knees. The floor cracked in a spiderweb pattern, and shattering power rippled out everywhere, blowing back the mist.

"He’s using the ultimate skill of the war hammer straight away!" Gary said, watching with wide eyes.

"Right… remember what Bliss said?" Kai replied, not taking his eyes off the battle. "The plan is to attack him from the get-go with everything they have. They need to hurt him bad, right now. Because if they wait, he will get stronger from his power via his connection to that 'thing.' They have to weaken him enough so they can seal him."

Kai clenched his fists. "Which is why they are going all out from the beginning!"

The plan seemed to be working. The three observers were witnessing the Heroes of the past and present fighting in perfect synchronization. Lenny was already getting ready for his next spell, and Bluebird was back on his feet, sword raised, ready to help Jack finish this once and for all.

(Author's Note: It’s New Year's Eve where I am and I will be celebrating, so just one chapter for the day. We will be back to the regular schedule tomorrow. Happy New Year into 2026, I have some exciting announcements coming!)

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