VILLAIN'S RISING

“…In addition to that, you’ve got two brains just like Lucas over here. One to solely perform calculations and the other to carry out your basic functions.

“You’ve got three hearts in total, so you won’t need to worry about if you get hit. An instant regeneration healing factor is also given to you.

“Not only that, but you can harden your skin to be as tough as a diamond. You also have 52 different kinds of vision.

“You also have a demon form– it’s a transformation that can assist you in combat. A battle form, if you may.

“In this transformation, your body efficiently focuses solely on survival by ceasing every other unnecessary function.”

While Sam stood there, listing all the new perks that Michael had acquired as if he was detailing the specs of some PC, his brother listened intently.

“Not only that, I noticed you had trouble controlling your ability, so your ability control has also been enhanced—”

After a while, Lucas couldn’t handle it anymore. He finally spoke, interrupting his sire’s never-ending explanation

“Sire, I think he got it. So rather than explaining to him his new powers, would you like to tell us what to do from here on out?”

“Huh?” Sam stopped his long explanation and touched his chin.

“Yeah, brother. What’s your plan?” Even Michael displayed his curiosity and questioned.

“Hmm,” after scrunching his chin while forming an answer, Sam said, “I have a plan. But first, we need to know what the heroes are planning.”

“Uh, how would we know that?” Lucas knitted his eyebrows in a frown. “Do we send a spy?”

“No need,” Sam said while waving his hand. “It’s already taken care of.”

The frown on Lucas’ face grew deeper as even Michael looked confused.

Without minding their reactions, Sam spoke in his mind, ‘Report back here.’

Sam and all his demons share a borderline telepathic neural network. A sort of mind link.

His minions could feel what Sam is feeling and vice versa, so if he needs one of his demons, he just needs to think about them, and they’ll know.

And sure enough, in an instant, the shadow beneath Sam’s feet started to grow larger.

From the black pool of darkness below Sam’s feet, a man with silver hair and pale skin emerged. His eyes looked as if they were on fire, devoid of any life.

“Ah, wait, this is the guy who used his weird power to capture me from Starsuper!” Startled, Michael pointed at the man who emerged from Sam’s shadow.

“Yes, his name is Marcel Nickelson,” Sam introduced his father figure to his half-brother.

“Michael, Marcel is the man who raised me like his own son. He knew my secret but didn’t sell me out to the heroes. I respect him for that.” He added.

“Is that so?” Michael nodded, but a puzzled look washed over his face. “Wait then, why did you turn him into a demon?”

“Because his vision was too restricted,” Sam curtly responded. “He wanted to bring his dead sister back to life. That’s all.”

Some might argue that’s a deep motivation, but for Sam, the man who visioned uniting the world, it was all too small.

“Anyway,” shaking his head, Sam proceeded to add, “Marcel can manipulate shadows. He can travel through them and store things in them. He can also project shadows into our world like solid objects. A truly magnificent ability if I say so.”

Michael nodded in astonishment. “So that’s how he snatched me from Starsuper. He grabbed me from my shadow!”

“Yes,” Sam concurred before he turned to Marcel. “So, what information do you have?”

In truth, long before his battle with Starsuper, Sam had sent Marcel to spy on the hero council.

Marcel was a former [Calamity rank] hero. His destructive capabilities were off the chart. However, what he truly exceeded in was infiltration and assassination missions.

Using his wits, infiltration methods, and assassination techniques were how he became the king of the underworld.

And, of course, Marcel didn’t disappoint Sam. He had gained crucial info in these past two days.

“Their morale is in shambles since they discovered that the dead body you threw belonged to Starsuper.

“Anthony is the only one keeping aside from a few top heroes who are trying to contain the discord and maintain a calm head.

“Just before you called for me, Anthony’s sister Rebekah returned. From the looks of it, her arrival will bring some sense of hope among the heroes for the upcoming battle.

“However, the most important news that I have is a hero named Rick has been experimenting on Kiara since she was captured. I think he’s trying some way to reverse your mind control effect on her.

“Of course, there is also the fact that martian spaceships will arrive on Earth by twilight tomorrow. By my estimation, they are sending 50 thousand troops armed with advanced plasma-based third-generation weapons.”

“Huh, is that so?” Sam raised an eyebrow in acknowledgment. To be honest, he was quite surprised by Marcel’s infiltration capabilities.

Not only did he get past the security of Los Angeles, which is currently the most guarded place in the world, but he was also able to gather so much information.

“Shall I head back?” Marcel shook Sam out of his awe and asked.

“Ah, no. Don’t go back.” Sam shook his head firmly.

“Hmm? Why, sire?” Obviously confused by Sam’s decision, Lucas asked.

“Yeah, brother. The more information we have at a time like this, the better. Even more so when Rebekah, another Willburn, has joined their force.” Michael nodded too.

“That is precisely why he shouldn’t go back,” Sam pointed at Michael and uttered a response. “Rebekah is a Willburn, so she’s stronger than ninety-nine percent of the heroes in the world. However, compared to Starboy or Starsuper, she’s nothing special.

“Or so people think. You see, her true strength lies in her quick thinking, battle sense, agility, and… perception. If Marcel goes back there, he will be killed… or worse, he’ll get experimented on like Kiara.”

Sam still remembered the time when Rebekah spotted him despite his [Concealment] ability being active.

Even Starsuper or Starboy couldn’t spot him with [Concealment] active! Yet she did!

Even now, Sam was more wary of Rebekah than Anthony.

The reason? Anthony is predictable. She isn’t.

Anthony cares about this world more than anything else. So the motives behind his moves would always be predictable.

But not Rebekah. She is a psychotic bitch. She could do anything to get to her goal, which was to protect her brother.

After all, she even shook hands with Sam and plotted against her father, all in order to get Anthony out of her father’s clutches. Although, most of it was a part of Sam’s grand scheme.

Another thing that was bugging Sam was that Rick was experimenting on Kiara.

Rick is a powerful hero blessed with [Mind Power] ability. He could project his mental strength into the world and use it to do a variety of tasks, such as lifting things or creating an invisible force field—kind of like Telekinesis.

But what differentiates his ability from Telekinesis is that Rick’s ability has enhanced his brain functions since his childhood.

In short, he’s a genius. One in a century kind of talent. And he has been experimenting on Kiara to find a way to reverse his mind control effect.

When Sam transforms a person into a demon, he changes a bizarre number of things in their body.

Aside from giving them several biological modifications and bodily enhancements, he binds them into mind control.

If Rick is trying to undo that mind control, Sam fears that he will use that against him in the upcoming battle in Los Angeles.

“Sire, at the risk of repeating myself, I want to know. What should we do now?” Lucas pulled Sam out of his thoughts and voiced his question.

“Ah,” touching his chin for a moment, Sam nodded his head as if he’d come up with a plan. “Alright, here’s what we’ll do.

“We’ve got to build an army. For that, I’ll give my clones to the three of you. You three will then spread and help my clones turn people into demons.

“Create as many demons as you all can till tomorrow’s daybreak. After that, we, along with our army, will march down to Los Angeles and wage our last war against them.”

Marcel, Michael, and Lucas nodded with a fierce looks plastered on their faces.

However, almost instantly, a look of curiosity took over Lucas’ face, and he spoke

“Wait, sire, what will you do?”

Grinning, a soft scowl escaped Sam’s lips as he announced

“Well, someone has to officially declare the war.”