[OP in Marvel] Ch: 15 [Destroyer vs Paladin]

Jason crossed the distance in less than a heartbeat.

The Destroyer swung its massive fist, and the armored knuckles collided with Jason's fist directly above the ruined courtyard. The impact released a circular shockwave that ripped tiles from nearby roofs and hurled broken pillars across the palace grounds.

Jason's body stopped in midair.

For a fraction of a second, neither of them moved. Then the force caught up with him, and Jason crashed through the courtyard like a stone fired from a siege weapon. He tore through three layers of marble, vanished beneath the palace foundations, and continued downward until the impact finally carved a deep tunnel beneath Asgard.

Thor stared into the smoking crater while tightening his grip around Mjolnir. "That much damage... Jason!"

Sif kept her shield raised as the durability display hovered above its scorched surface. "That's not enough to keep him down." She had seen his power and knew that he won't charge in without a plan. So, instead of doubting him, she trusted him. 

The Destroyer turned toward the crater while crimson energy gathered behind its faceplates. Loki's voice rolled across the battlefield with open satisfaction. "Your confidence in that monster will make his death far more painful."

The helmet opened completely.

A crimson beam plunged into the crater.

The ground erupted as the blast drilled through stone, ancient foundations, and layers of enchanted metal. Golden streets buckled around the palace while buildings shook under the sustained pressure. The beam burned deeper for several seconds before Loki finally allowed the energy to fade.

Molten stone glowed within the crater.

Loki lowered the Destroyer's head slightly. "See, I've just erased his existence. Now, it's your turn, brother."

A voice echoed from somewhere beneath the smoke.

"Yeah, that definitely stings."

The Destroyer's crimson eyes narrowed.

Jason knew what he had to choose. Barbarian had strength, but trading raw hits with Odin’s god-killer armor was asking to get launched through half the city. Rogue class also won't do much damage with traps and long range attacks. Sorcerer and Druid had range, but the Destroyer could eat energy blasts and throw them back harder. Necromancer was useless here because bone walls and summons would only become expensive debris. 

That left only one option.

The class built specifically for standing in front of impossible things and refusing to die.

Red light burst from the crater, followed by several chains of golden symbols that raced across the shattered ground. The symbols joined together beneath Jason and formed a vast circular seal, its outer ring filled with words from a language that belonged to another universe.

A system window appeared before his eyes.

Jason rose from the crater as molten stone rolled from his shoulders.

His clothing dissolved beneath a flood of golden light. Heavy armor formed around him piece by piece, beginning with thick greaves that locked over his boots. Layered plates covered his legs, waist, chest, and arms, each section connecting through glowing lines of holy power. The armor carried the weight of a walking fortress, with broad pauldrons, reinforced joints, and a high collar protecting his neck.

The metal appeared pale silver beneath the night light, although deep crimson markings ran across every plate. Golden scripture covered the edges, glowing brighter whenever the Destroyer's energy touched the armor.

A closed helmet formed around Jason's head, leaving only two narrow eye slits filled with burning white light.

The final object appeared inside his waiting hand.

Red Sermon descended from above like a weapon delivered by heaven.

The two-handed sword stood almost as tall as Sif. Its blade was wide, thick, and dark along the center, with red holy fire burning inside channels carved through the metal. The crossguard resembled a pair of folded wings, while the grip had enough space for both armored hands.

Jason closed his fingers around the hilt.

The sword's weight drove him half a foot deeper into the broken ground.

Sif felt the pressure coming from the weapon and took an unconscious step backward. The armor she wore responded with a soft pulse of blue light, almost like it recognized another creation from Jason's world.

Thor looked between Jason and the enormous sword. "You possessed armor like that during our previous battles?"

Jason rolled one armored shoulder while testing the weight of Red Sermon. "I possess several sets that would have made those battles embarrassingly short."

Thor's expression tightened with obvious frustration. "You allowed us to strike you for hours while carrying equipment like this?"

Jason planted the sword against his shoulder as he watched the Destroyer. "The point of sparring involves learning something, and nobody learns much when the other person arrives wearing a walking castle."

Loki raised the Destroyer's hand while crimson energy gathered around its fingers. "Your new costume changes nothing about your fate."

Jason's eyes moved across the construct while several transparent windows appeared within his vision.

Jason sighed behind his helmet. "Tell me something I don't know."

The Destroyer fired five crimson bolts from its fingertips.

Jason drove Red Sermon into the ground and raised his empty hand as golden shields appeared around his body.

<Aegis: Surrounds the Paladin with shields of solid Light, taunts nearby enemies, and grants complete blocking capability for four seconds.>

The first bolt struck the golden barrier and exploded across the courtyard. The second followed immediately, then the third, each impact pushing Jason deeper into the stone. The final two bolts arrived together and swallowed him inside a sphere of crimson destruction.

Jason's Aegis held.

Golden shields rotated around him, cracking beneath the repeated impacts before repairing themselves through streams of holy light. His armor absorbed the heat that slipped through, while the runes along his chest converted part of the incoming force into glowing stacks around his body.

The crimson fire cleared, revealing Jason in the middle of a deep crater. His armor smoked, although every plate remained firmly attached.

Jason pulled Red Sermon from the ground and pointed the blade toward the Destroyer. "My turn."

He vanished with a thunderous crack.

<Advance: Rushes forward behind a weapon strike, closing distance while generating Faith and reinforcing the Paladin's stance.>

Jason appeared beneath the Destroyer's raised arm and swung Red Sermon upward with both hands.

The blade struck the construct's ribs.

The collision sounded like a cathedral bell being hit by a mountain. Red and golden light exploded from the point of impact, and the Destroyer launched into the sky hard enough to break through the clouds above Asgard.

Jason followed before Loki could recover.

<Falling Star: Launches the Paladin with angelic wings before delivering a second impact upon descent or collision.>

Golden wings unfolded behind Jason's armor and carried him upward in a streak of white fire. He caught the Destroyer several thousand feet above the palace, twisted his body, and brought Red Sermon down against its shoulder.

The sword released every stored stack of Resolve through the Juggernaut Oath.

<Juggernaut Oath: Consumes Resolve to increase the size, force, and defensive penetration of empowered Paladin skills.>

Red Sermon expanded beneath a flood of holy energy until the blade stretched nearly thirty feet.

Jason completed the swing.

The Destroyer plummeted from the sky.

Its armored body struck the mountains beyond the palace, passed through the first peak, and crashed into the valley behind it. The mountain split along the path of impact while an avalanche poured down both sides.

Thor flew toward the valley with lightning trailing behind him. "That strike would have killed nearly any creature across the Nine Realms."

Sif followed through a burst of golden light, keeping her shield close to her body. "The Destroyer is indestructible."

Jason hovered above the valley as his golden wings slowly faded. "That happens to be our main problem."

The mountain below them exploded.

The Destroyer emerged from the rock without a single dent across its body. Molten crimson energy covered both arms, and its faceplates opened while Jason remained suspended against the night sky.

Loki's voice carried through the valley. "You cannot damage this armor, no matter how much strength you possess."

Jason shifted Red Sermon into both hands. "Yeah, yeah. I know. Indestructible and blah, blah, blah. Fuck you, coward. All you can do is hide like a little panzy fucker."

The Destroyer's beam fired upward.

Jason crossed the sword before his chest while a wall of golden light formed along the blade. The beam struck him and carried him through the sky, pushing him farther away from the palace with every passing second.

His health dropped steadily.

The enchantments within Citadel of the Last Dawn activated as Jason continued blocking.

<Last Dawn Bulwark: Armor increases as Life decreases, with additional damage reduction gained for every ten percent of missing Life.>

The glowing scripture across Jason's armor turned brighter. His feet found purchase against empty air as golden platforms formed beneath his boots.

Jason stopped moving backward.

Loki increased the beam's output until the surrounding clouds began burning away. "You will disappear like every other obstacle standing between me and the throne."

Jason pushed against the beam while his armor continued converting damage into Resolve. "You have spent your entire life complaining about being ignored, so destroying your father's palace seems like a strange way to earn his approval."

The Destroyer's beam flickered.

Jason felt Loki's anger rise through the spiritual connection inside the armor.

That reaction confirmed something important.

Loki remained emotionally vulnerable despite controlling an indestructible weapon.

Jason allowed the beam to push him several yards before twisting Red Sermon and redirecting the energy toward the empty sky. The crimson blast tore through the clouds and vanished into space while Jason rushed along its edge.

He reached the Destroyer's head before Loki could close the faceplates.

Jason thrust Red Sermon into the opening.

The sword entered less than an inch before an invisible force stopped it. Crimson energy erupted from inside the armor and blasted Jason across the valley.

He struck the mountainside feet first and remained standing as the stone collapsed beneath him.

Jason raised one hand while golden light gathered around his body.

<Holy Light Aura: Damages nearby enemies through repeated bursts of holy power, while its active release sends chained bolts that return and restore Life.>

Two spheres of white fire appeared beside him and raced toward the Destroyer. They struck the construct's chest, circled its body, and entered through the narrow openings between its plates.

Loki cried out as holy power passed through the armor and struck his astral presence.

The bolts returned to Jason, closing several cracks across his armor as warmth spread through his body.

The Destroyer staggered for the first time.

Jason's eyes sharpened behind his helmet. "The armor cannot feel pain, although the idiot hiding inside certainly can."

Sif landed beside Jason as her sword glowed with blue holy energy. "My weapon injured his projection in the forest."

Jason nodded while keeping his attention on the Destroyer. "Which means we target the driver instead of breaking the carriage."

Thor landed on Jason's other side and spun Mjolnir once. "Then we fill the armor with enough lightning to force Loki from within."

Jason lowered Red Sermon into a ready position. "Lightning might reach him, although Loki already knows how your power behaves."

Thor's expression hardened as storm clouds spread across the valley. "He has never faced our power together."

The Destroyer raised both hands.

The shattered mountain around them began to move.

Stone flowed upward like liquid, forming hundreds of jagged energy spears around the valley. Trees, boulders, and ruined sections of the mountain twisted together beneath the construct's matter manipulation. The spears rotated until every sharpened point faced Jason, Thor, and Sif.

Jason looked around the valley while tightening both hands around his sword. "Shit! Get hit by one of those and you're done... poof. Erased from existence. I should've snapped his head back then."

Loki closed the Destroyer's fist. "You wanted a battle, monster, so I will provide one worthy of your grave."

Every energy spear launched forward.