Chapter 199: Restart, Spider-Man! [199]
"I usually take the window, but recently, I've learned to use portals."
With that, Xia Luo stepped through.
Buzz!
The air turned icy as he entered another space, a stark contrast to the fiery heat outside.
Before him lay a weathered altar, spanning dozens of meters in diameter.
Black chains crisscrossed chaotically over the altar. As Xia Luo approached, the chains quivered, their clinking echoes sharp and clear in the silent void.
Suddenly, the hellfire engulfing the chains subsided, and with a clang, the chains collapsed to the ground.
A hulking, purple figure slowly rose from a skeletal throne at the center of the altar.
Shhkkk!
The grating sound of metal scraped through the silence as a massive, double-edged blade dragged across the altar's surface, sending sparks flying.
From the shadows, the imposing figure emerged, wielding the blade with ease.
"Earth's superhero, Spider-Man. I didn't expect my opponent this time to be you," came a raspy voice.
Faint blue light flickered in Xia Luo's eyes.
"Is that…"
Under the dim glow, a familiar bald head reflected an ominous purple sheen. The figure's battle-worn armor bore deep scars, and his face was marred with fresh wounds. Yet, his unwavering gaze radiated the same indomitable will.
Thanos.
Behind Xia Luo, the stone door slammed shut. The void around him churned, and a phantom audience materialized in the distance.
"Rip him apart!!"
A green-skinned Zehoberei projection screamed wildly from the stands.
Next to her, a blue-skinned cyborg shot her a sharp look. "Gamora, tone it down."
Gamora shrugged. "I've waited too long to see Thanos fight. I can't stay calm. I want to see him die with my own eyes."
Nebula smirked coldly. "Thanos is invincible. You know that better than anyone."
"There's always an exception."
Nearby, a group of Skrulls watched with mixed reactions.
"This time, the opponent is a bug."
"No, two bugs."
"I recognize them—they're Spider-Men!" one Skrull exclaimed excitedly. "He's Earth's superstar! My favorite idol!"
Hearing this, the other Skrulls groaned, covering their faces.
"We infiltrated humanity to replace them, not so you could fangirl."
"So what? Idolizing him doesn't stop us from replacing them."
"That's true. To understand humans, we need to immerse ourselves in their culture. Following celebrities helps."
"No, if we become too much like them, how can we replace them?"
The Skrulls fell into a heated argument, their voices grating on the nerves of nearby Kree spectators.
"Shut up, you disgusting Skrulls!"
"Filthy Kree! You fled Earth with your tails between your legs!"
"Say that again, and you're dead if we meet outside!"
"Go to hell!"
Insults flew between the Skrulls and Kree, while Asgardian soldiers in another section of the audience dismissed the commotion with cold indifference.
In the Asgardian camp, Loki leaned forward, his gaze fixed on Spider-Man.
"It's him. It has to be him!"
Taking a deep breath, Loki forced himself to calm down.
"To reach Mephisto's Hell… Could he be here for the resurrection tournament?"
Loki's mind raced, affirming that his past experiences weren't mere dreams.
Meanwhile, chaos erupted on the opposite side of the stands as savage Chitauri soldiers clashed with a group of Sovereign warriors.
The Sovereign Queen Ayesha spared the bickering aliens a glance before turning her attention to the altar.
"As always, record the combat data. I want Adam to become the universe's most powerful god," she commanded coolly.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Ayesha activated the recording devices.
Elsewhere, Star-Lord removed his helmet, breaking into an impromptu dance for the audience.
"Oh yeah! Let's go, baby!"
A red-suited figure with dual swords approached, carrying a baby in one arm.
"Hey, pal," Deadpool called out. "How about letting a real hero take center stage? You're a third-rate hero with zero comedic timing and lousy combat skills. Get off my dance floor."
Deadpool set the baby down gently and hit play on his personal speaker.
"Let's groove, folks!"
As the music blared, dozens of multiversal Deadpools joined in, breaking into a chaotic group dance.
Xia Luo scanned the massive audience, pausing briefly on the dancing Deadpools. He exhaled slowly, turning his focus back to Thanos.
"What is this place?" Xia Luo asked.
Thanos replied coldly, "Mephisto's Soul Arena. A playground for his amusement. You're my thirteenth opponent."
"So, you willingly became his beast?"
"Beast?"
Thanos chuckled bitterly, pulling off his Infinity Gauntlet to reveal a severely burned arm.
"I defeated the Avengers and fulfilled my dream.
Thor's axe severed my head, but I died without regrets."
His gaze flickered briefly toward Gamora in the stands before quickly looking away.
"But here… I learned that none of it mattered.
To certain beings, the rise and fall of a universe is insignificant. They toy with everyone—
even me, the so-called conqueror of the universe."
His voice carried a note of despair. "I want to find meaning in my existence. Even as a soul, I must."
Xia Luo's sharp gaze met Thanos's.
"And the meaning of your existence is to be a caged beast, endlessly fighting?"
"I don't think so. You're here because someone you love is too," Xia Luo said, glancing at Gamora.
"For your so-called balance, you lost your daughter.
Here, you can see her again. Even if she hates you."
Thanos froze, momentarily shaken.
"You… You're not the Spider-Man I knew."
"And you're not the Thanos I knew," Xia Luo replied, summoning a crackling electric spider into his palm.
"Now, tell me—where is Tony's soul?"
"Iron Man?"
Thanos frowned, recalling the human with the metal suit from the ruins of Titan.
"Is he here?"
"So, you willingly came to Hell?" Xia Luo pressed, his eyes narrowing.
"That makes sense. If Mephisto had to force you, it'd be a humiliation for every Thanos across the multiverse."
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"That's irrelevant. What matters is—do you know where Tony is?"
"Sorry, I don't care about him."
"Then one last question," Xia Luo said, electricity crackling around him.
"What's in it for me if I beat you?"
"Defeat me?"
Thanos snapped out of his reverie, a scornful smirk forming on his scarred face.
"The entire Avengers couldn't defeat me. What makes you think you stand a chance?"
"Chance is something you create for yourself."
Their gazes locked. In a flash, their fists collided with a deafening crack.
BOOM!!
The resulting shockwave rippled outward, fracturing the altar beneath them into a spiderweb of cracks, only for it to repair itself moments later with the blaze of hellfire.
In that brief clash, Thanos stood his ground, unmoved, while Xia Luo stumbled back a few steps.
Thanos's strength was easily over 300 tons—Xia Luo was certain of that now.
"What!!"
The audience erupted in shock as Spider-Man managed to withstand Thanos's punch.
"Is this Spider-Man's true strength?"
"How can this be? A bug? Withstanding Thanos's fist?"
"Why not?"
Loki squinted, smirking. "I heard the Butt-Cap was able to take Thanos's punch too."
"That was a fluke."
The audience descended into chaos as Thanos swung his double-edged blade, forcing Xia Luo to retreat in a burst of electric arcs.
Zzt-zzt!
The arcs flickered and dissipated as Xia Luo landed next to Takuya Yamashiro.
"Hey, buddy, you…"
"I get it," Takuya interrupted, stepping back.
"Don't worry. This is a duel between warriors. I wouldn't dare disrupt the code of bushido." His tone was full of reverence.
Xia Luo: "..."
"No, I want you to help me take him down!"
"Nani?"
Scratching his head, Takuya nodded. "All right. Guess I overthought that."
Immediately, he raised his arms theatrically.
"To fight for one's comrades—the man who risks it all, Spider—"
BOOM!!
Before he could finish, Thanos's massive purple fist smashed into him, sending him flying into a stone wall where he slumped motionless.
Xia Luo: "..."
Great. He's only useful against giant monsters, and even then, he doesn't want to put in any effort.
"Your comrade is weak," Thanos said coldly, discarding his double-edged blade.
"To show respect, I'll fight you without weapons."
The crowd immediately erupted in boos—directed at Xia Luo.
Xia Luo sighed, massaging his temples.
"I know you're not trying to be funny, but something about this feels off."
Zzt-zzt!
Bam! Bam! Bam!
Electric arcs crackled as Xia Luo zipped around Thanos, who responded with calm, precise punches. Each blow struck with unerring accuracy, countering the bursts of power Xia Luo unleashed.
"Oh my god!"
"He's so fast!"
"Go, idol! I love you!!"
Wade Wilson screamed like a fanatic. Nearby, Baby Fisk waved his tiny fists in excitement.
"Wah-wah! Wah-wah!!"
BOOM!!
Thanos roared, slamming his fist into the ground. The impact sent shards of stone flying in all directions, disrupting the electric arcs. They dimmed, replaced by dazzling bursts of red-and-blue magical energy.
Buzz!
Surrounded by glowing magical totems, Xia Luo spread his arms wide. Behind him, multiple spectral limbs blossomed like petals.
"That's the Supreme Sorcerer's duplication spell!" Loki gasped.
Even Thanos's expression grew grim.
He was well-acquainted with Strange's white magic and knew how dangerous it could be.
However, upon seeing only seven clones, Thanos exhaled in relief.
"Pointless theatrics. Let's go!"
Thanos clenched his fists, shattering the void with sheer power as Xia Luo's clones leapt into action.
"Friendly Neighborhood Lightning Kick!"
"Friendly Neighborhood Atomic Blast!"
"Friendly Neighborhood Dragon Spiral!"
"My turn! Wolverine's Noble Sacrifice—Seventh Anniversary Edition!"
"No!!"
Wade buried his face in his hands.
"As Wolverine's bestie, I can't handle this. I'm so moved!!"
The chorus of Deadpools behind him wept in unison as vibrant streams of magic streaked down toward the altar.
BOOM-BOOM-BOOM!!
The seven magical energy blasts tore through the altar mercilessly, one of them detonating with devastating force.
With a critical hit ratio of 100%, its power reached catastrophic levels.
BOOM!!!
"No!"
At the epicenter of the explosion, Thanos roared in anguish as his armor was ripped to shreds, exposing his flesh. His Titan skin shimmered faintly with purple light, but even his body struggled to endure the brutal magical onslaught.
Forced into a desperate move, Thanos rolled unceremoniously across the ground, grabbing his discarded blade.
Boom!
With a spin, the double-edged blade created a whirlwind, sucking in the surrounding magical energy.
In an instant, the lingering magical aftershocks coalesced into a raging tornado that swept across the altar, annihilating the remaining clones.
Crash!
The tornado shredded the stone walls, sending debris flying. Takuya, still embedded in a wall, scrambled to his feet, dodging the destruction with his signature shuffling steps. His awe of the purple brute's combat skills grew with every passing second.
As the magical storm subsided, the audience stared in stunned silence.
Kneeling in the center of the altar, Thanos gasped for breath, blood seeping from his purple skin. Chunks of charred flesh fell away, leaving him in a pitiful state.
In the stands, Gamora instinctively clenched her fists.
Nebula smirked. "You look worried about him."
Gamora turned away. "As if. I want him dead."
"He already is—just like us," Nebula replied bitterly.
Even as a cyborg, Nebula had a soul. To her, the irony was suffocating.
She glanced at Gamora, unsure if what she felt was jealousy or something else.
Gamora had been sacrificed to the Soul Stone—proof she was Thanos's most beloved.
That person wasn't me.
Nebula's eyes dimmed with sorrow.
She had betrayed her past self to earn Thanos's trust, giving up everything.
And yet, here she was, a pointless encounter in Hell with Gamora from the future.
It all felt meaningless.
But for Thanos, it was different.
After reigning over the universe for so long, the fires of battle had rekindled his spirit.
It had been ages since he'd felt this exhilarated.
Odin, the Hulk, Thor with his hammer—they had never truly excited him.
He hadn't been "pure" back then, bound by a purpose greater than himself.
Now, he fought only for himself.
Even as a soul, in Hell, a soul was the same as a body—his ultimate creation.
Under Xia Luo's wary gaze, Thanos slowly rose. His torn purple flesh regenerated rapidly, power coursing visibly through his veins.
Danger radiated from him like a palpable force.
Xia Luo didn't hesitate.
Clack!
BOOM!!
In an instant, Xia Luo's slender frame grew to match Thanos's hulking size. Bulging muscles glowed faintly with a purple hue beneath his suit.
That familiar aura left Thanos visibly shaken.
"That's… Titan power!"
At the same time, the nanotech suit's webbing turned a sinister shade of crimson, as Hydra's influence seeped through. Blood-red tendrils spread outward, drenching the altar in a mist of eerie red.
The audience gasped, horrified.
But the Hydra energy quickly faded.
Xia Luo shrugged, his tone teasing. "To show respect, I won't use weapons."
Thanos: "..."
---
Thank you for reading this chapter!
Wise-Senpai leads the way, sharing stories that inspire and connect us all. Your support is like the encouragement of a loyal companion, pushing this journey forward and lighting the path ahead.
If you'd like to support Wise-Senpai, you can visit:
[patreon.com/WiseTL].
Every contribution strengthens our resolve, paving the way for the stories yet to come!
Let's continue to explore these worlds together!
-Mash Kyrielight 💜