"Rankyaku: White Lightning!"
The technique's name left Su Xiu's lips like a divine incantation, and in response, a blinding white light bloomed in the cramped street—not a mere flash but a concentrated nova of pure energy that illuminated the urban canyon with the intensity of a thousand camera flashes.
Like thunder shattering the tranquility of a summer sky, the light cleaved through the darkness with merciless precision.
"Ahhh—!" A guttural scream tore from the throat of the nearest gangster, his pupils contracting painfully as neural pathways overloaded.
"My eyes! I can't see!" Another dropped his weapon, hands clawing desperately at his face as if he could physically scrape away the blindness.
"Damn it, close your eyes—cover them now!" The leader's voice cracked with panic, the command coming far too late to make any difference.
"I knew it! That guy is definitely not human—he's one of them!" The accusation carried a mixture of fear and vindication, as if confirming a long-held paranoia about enhanced individuals.
"Ahhh—!" The chorus of suffering continued, echoing off concrete walls and metal dumpsters like a macabre urban symphony.
Piercing screams rang out endlessly, bouncing between the close-set buildings and magnifying upon themselves until they seemed to come from everywhere at once—a psychological warfare tactic Su Xiu hadn't even deliberately employed but appreciated nonetheless.
Aside from the tactical advantage of the blinding flash—
The killing intent radiating beneath the white light carried a primal weight no less ferocious than thunder itself. It was the focused malevolence of a predator in its element, unleashed after weeks of restraint.
Even Gwen, with her enhanced reflexes and spider-sense, could only catch disjointed afterimages of Su Xiu's movements. Her perception, which normally rendered the world in a kind of heightened slow-motion during combat, could barely register him as anything more than a series of displaced air currents. In the charged atmosphere, one blinding flash of white light followed another in rapid succession.
Like invisible scythes methodically harvesting a field of wheat, each arc of energy found its mark with surgical precision.
Very quickly—so quickly that the human mind could barely process the sequence of events—the densely packed crowd of armed criminals all collapsed to the filthy pavement, their weapons clattering uselessly beside them.
They hadn't possessed even a fraction of the strength necessary to mount meaningful resistance.
Let alone cause Su Xiu to break a sweat or expend significant effort.
Completely! Utterly! Vulnerable!
In less than the time it takes to draw a full breath—barely five seconds by objective measurement—the only one still standing in the devastated alleyway was Gwen, unconsciously protected by Su Xiu's calculated movements. He had carved a perfect circle of destruction around her, never once letting the danger come within a meter of her position.
"Huff…"
"Huff…"
Gwen was breathing heavily, her chest rising and falling in a rapid rhythm like she had been struck by electrical current rather than merely witnessing violence. Even through the moisture-wicking fabric of her Spider-Man suit, one could sense the emotional tempest raging inside her heart. This wasn't the clean, choreographed combat of training sessions or even the adrenaline-fueled skirmishes she'd handled before. This was efficiency bordering on artistry—violence elevated to its purest form.
A thin sheen of sweat trickled down her body beneath the suit, the material torn in several places from her earlier confrontation, revealing skin as pale as fresh snow beneath the red and blue fabric. The contrast was striking—vulnerability beneath protective layers, humanity beneath the superhero façade.
Scrapes and grime from the earlier struggle made her look disheveled and somehow more real—more human—than the polished superheroes who graced magazine covers and action figures. The reality of heroism included dirt, sweat, and occasionally, miscalculation.
"Before fighting evil, you should also evaluate your own strength."
Su Xiu's voice came low and measured, not condescending but matter-of-fact, like a master instructing a promising student. There was no satisfaction in his tone, no pride in his display of overwhelming power—merely the calm certainty of someone stating an essential truth that needed to be heard.
"Rushing in with nothing but hot-blooded passion isn't justice. That's just handing yourself over on a silver platter." The wisdom carried weight not from judgment but experience—scars hidden beneath a composed exterior.
Then—
Without waiting for Gwen's reply or acknowledgment—knowing that lessons this profound needed time to germinate—he stepped forward and gently but firmly grasped her upper arm. In a fluid motion that defied normal physics, he pulled her close against his chest, one arm supporting her back while the other secured her legs.
Moving at a speed that rendered them nearly invisible to conventional observation, he quickly left the scene of devastation behind.
This wasn't a place to linger, not even for debriefing or explanation.
The commotion from the fight had been too conspicuous despite its brevity. The distinctive energy signature of his techniques would draw attention from organizations with the technology to monitor such anomalies. The military—or even worse, SHIELD with their specialized enhanced-individual response teams—would be converging on this location within minutes.
He had no interest in getting entangled in bureaucratic red tape or lengthy interrogations, wasting precious time explaining capabilities he preferred to keep private. Better to remain a momentary urban legend than become a documented person of interest.
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Dark silhouettes flickered across the twilight sky, barely visible even to those specifically watching for movement. To ordinary citizens, it might register as nothing more than an unusual bird or a trick of the fading light.
Using "Rokushiki: Soru" (Six Powers: Shave) to its fullest potential, Su Xiu moved at ultra-high speed across rooftops and through narrow gaps between buildings, quickly carrying Gwen away from the scene of conflict and toward a nearby commercial district where they could blend seamlessly into evening crowds.
He set her down carefully at a street corner bustling with after-work pedestrians, the location strategically chosen for its multiple escape routes and surveillance camera blind spots. After confirming she was steady on her feet and showing no signs of immediate medical distress, he offered her a single, almost imperceptible nod before his form blurred into an afterimage and vanished once more into the urban landscape.
Watching Su Xiu disappear from her sight with such supernatural speed, Gwen was left momentarily disoriented in the gentle evening breeze, her mind racing to process everything that had just occurred in the span of mere minutes.
"Why... does he feel kind of familiar?" she whispered to herself, fingers unconsciously reaching to touch the fabric of her mask hidden beneath the hoodie. Something about his movements, perhaps, or the cadence of his voice triggered a sense of déjà vu she couldn't quite place.
"Do we know each other? But he looks totally unfamiliar..." Her brow furrowed beneath the mask as she tried to reconcile the contradiction. The man who had intervened bore no resemblance to anyone in her social circle, yet something about his energy resonated with her on an almost cellular level.
Gwen's emerald eyes sparkled with curiosity behind her mask, reflecting the neon signs gradually illuminating as dusk settled over the city.
Her spider-sense—that intuitive warning system that had saved her life countless times since her transformation—was unusually quiet, neither alerting her to danger nor reassuring her of safety. Instead, it seemed to hover in an indeterminate state, as if the man defied categorization by her enhanced instincts.
And also... one phrase kept repeating in her mind like a cryptic riddle:
"A hero... just doing it for fun?"
The concept seemed almost blasphemous in a world where heroism came packaged with responsibility, sacrifice, and often tragedy. How could someone with such overwhelming power approach it with such casual detachment? It challenged everything her father had taught her about what it meant to wear a mask and stand against darkness.
——
"(.?＿?.) Sorry! Something came up at home, I had to head back early. I already paid for the food. I had a great time today! Next time I'll treat you to something fun again~ Tongue-out JPG"
Su Xiu was walking along a bustling avenue, the artificial canyon of skyscrapers channeling the evening foot traffic into rivers of humanity flowing in opposing directions. His heightened senses registered countless conversations simultaneously—business deals, romantic whispers, mundane discussions about dinner plans—all part of the white noise tapestry of urban life.
Suddenly, his phone vibrated with an incoming text notification, the screen illuminating with a message that required no detective work to identify its sender.
He didn't even have to guess.
Gwen, whose attempts at vigilante justice had resulted in injury rather than victory, had clearly retreated to tend to her wounds and recover from the psychological impact of the encounter. The scattered abrasions he'd observed would need cleaning and dressing, though her enhanced physiology would likely accelerate the healing process.
She was, by his assessment, a physical and emotional mess—definitely not in any condition to resume their casual outing as if nothing had happened. The text was a predictable social maneuver to salvage the situation without revealing her secret identity.
Also!
"Is it getting late already?" Su Xiu murmured, looking up at the shifting canvas of the evening sky.
Brilliant sunset clouds stretched across the horizon in vibrant bands of crimson and gold, dyeing the skyline blood-red as day surrendered to night. The setting sun looked like a wound in the fabric of reality—like it was foreshadowing something momentous approaching.
[Ding——]
The long-absent sound of the system suddenly echoed in his mind, clear and distinct despite the cacophony of the city around him. The familiar tone sent a jolt of anticipation through his nervous system, like a soldier hearing the call to battle after an extended peace.
That's right!
The countdown had finally hit zero!
Which was precisely why Su Xiu had deposited Gwen safely away from him and decisively departed without lengthy explanations. Some events weren't meant for witnesses—especially witnesses with connections to this world's superhero community.
"It's starting..." Su Xiu's eyes narrowed slightly, his pupils contracting as he deliberately suppressed the surge of excitement rising in his chest. To any observer, he appeared to be nothing more than another pedestrian making his way home after a long day—perhaps preoccupied with work concerns or personal matters, but nothing extraordinary.
With measured steps that betrayed none of the anticipation building within him, he walked back toward his temporary apartment like a man with nothing more pressing than dinner preparations on his mind.
[System unlocked!]
[Searching for dimensions to begin the second Multiversal Invasion!]
[Yes][No]
Two glowing options materialized in his mental landscape, hovering like spectral buttons awaiting his command.
A chance to win while lying down—a opportunity to gain power and knowledge while others scrambled in confusion—was this even worthy of hesitation? "Yes!"
Su Xiu responded silently but emphatically in his heart, the decision requiring no deliberation whatsoever.
Countless lights and shadows bloomed before his mind's eye, a kaleidoscope of potential realities spinning past like cards shuffled by a cosmic dealer. Familiar images from universes he recognized flashed by with dizzying speed—worlds of magic, of advanced technology, of primal savagery, of enlightened peace.
Eventually, the spinning carousel of possibilities slowed and settled on a silhouette that triggered recognition from deep within Su Xiu's memory banks.
"That world...?" Su Xiu's eyes widened slightly, genuine surprise registering in his usually composed features.
——
[Second Multiversal Invasion has begun!]
[Now selecting the world...]
BOOM!!
An invisible shockwave burst forth from an indeterminate origin point, rippling through the fabric of reality with enough force to momentarily distort electrical fields across the entire planet.
Every electronic screen on Earth—from massive Times Square billboards to humble smartwatches—simultaneously lit up with the same signal, forcibly interrupting regular broadcasting to initiate an unscheduled livestream. Television programs, online videos, digital advertisements, personal computers, even electronic billboards—all hijacked in an instant to serve as windows to another reality.
It's here, it's here!
The system's characteristic overbearing, unreasonable flair had returned in full force, brooking no opposition from humanity's technological guardians or digital security measures.
Unlike the first invasion round—which had caught an unprepared world completely off-guard—
This time!
The moment the system's broadcast began, it instantly drew the rapt attention of billions—becoming the absolute focal point of global consciousness. The first invasion had been a shock; this second one was an anticipated event, eagerly awaited by some, dreaded by others, but ignored by none.
——
Asgard
Within the golden halls of the eternal realm, in a chamber where cosmic energies converged in patterns understood by few, Odin Allfather slowly opened his one remaining eye. The golden light emanating from within its depths contained multitudes—concern, curiosity, ancient wisdom, and the weight of responsibilities spanning millennia.
"It begins again?" he murmured, his voice carrying no further than his own ears yet somehow resonating through the cosmic threads that bound the Nine Realms together.
Elsewhere in the vast palace—in chambers decorated with artifacts from a thousand conquered worlds—
"After waiting so long, it's finally starting!" Loki, God of Mischief, rubbed his hands together with barely contained excitement, his eyes gleaming with possibilities and machinations already forming in his quicksilver mind. Where others saw chaos, he saw opportunity. Where others feared disruption, he envisioned advantage.
——
Kamar-Taj
High in the ancient sanctum where the mystic arts had been preserved for centuries, protected from the prying eyes of the uninitiated by veils both magical and mundane, a slender figure moved with deliberate grace.
"The timeline... is growing even more chaotic than I foresaw." The Ancient One, custodian of Earth's mystical barriers, emerged from the sanctuary's inner chambers. Her aged gaze—which had witnessed the rise and fall of civilizations—grew deeper with concern as she contemplated the ripples this new invasion would create across the multiverse's delicate tapestry.
Her fingers traced invisible patterns in the air, reading currents of probability that remained hidden to all but the most enlightened sorcerers.
——
Military Command Center
Within a fortified bunker designed to withstand nuclear attack, surrounded by the most advanced monitoring technology available to non-stark entities, tension filled recycled air.
"All forces move to ready positions! This is not a drill!" The command echoed through secure channels, mobilizing specially prepared units across continents.
"This time, the empire will secure its rightful share of the pie!!" A four-star general rallied assembled troops from an elevated platform, his voice carrying the conviction of a man determined not to repeat previous failures.
Below him stood precisely arranged formations of elite operatives drawn from various special units—Navy SEALs, Delta Force, Rangers, and classified divisions without official designations. All were fully armed with both conventional weapons and experimental technology developed from scraps of understanding gleaned from the first invasion.
"I don't know if this shotgun approach will actually yield results..." General Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross muttered internally, his weather-beaten face betraying none of his private skepticism. He didn't harbor excessive hope for this needle-in-a-haystack operation, but military doctrine demanded preparation for all contingencies—even those involving dimensional breaches and potential acquisition of extra-universal assets.
——
Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters
In a subterranean chamber shielded from psychic intrusion by technologies decades beyond public awareness, a wheelchair-bound figure sat before an enhanced version of Cerebro, monitoring the global consciousness as it shifted in response to the system's announcement.
"A new world? Could it possibly represent... a chance for mutants and baseline humans to find a path toward peaceful coexistence?" Professor Charles Xavier mused aloud, his powerful mind already reaching out to sense the emotional responses flowing across humanity like tidal waves.
His eyes, kind yet weary from decades of fighting for his vision, reflected both the screen before him and the eternal hope that had sustained him through countless setbacks and tragedies.
——
A hidden complex, location classified
Within a fortress crafted from repurposed nuclear missile silos, reinforced with stolen technology and protected by mutants whose powers made conventional security systems obsolete, another perspective unfolded.
"Peaceful coexistence?" The word dripped with bitter skepticism from lips that had witnessed too many broken promises.
"Our rightful place in this world can only be secured through superior power!!" Erik Lehnsherr—Magneto—declared with absolute conviction, his piercing eyes locked on the livestream displayed on a wall of monitors. The metal fixtures throughout the room vibrated subtly in response to his emotional state.
"In there..." he gestured toward the images with a sweeping motion that commanded complete attention from his followers, "there may exist forces beyond current comprehension! We need such power! Mutants require greater strength to ensure our survival!!"
His provocative rhetoric—born from genuine concern for his people's future rather than simple malice—stirred the gathered assembly into a fervor. Mystique, Pyro, and dozens of other powerful mutants looked on with expressions ranging from fanatical agreement to thoughtful consideration, united by their shared experience of persecution and their determination never to be victims again.
——
Across the globe, in homes and public spaces, in languages spanning the full breadth of human communication, reactions multiplied and collided:
"Whoa! The second invasion's actually started—is it another zombie apocalypse? I better stock up on canned goods!" A college student in Seattle texted his roommates, already planning a supply run.
"No way that's happening again! Didn't Iron Man destroy Red Queen and complete the mission objective? Wasn't the apocalypse explicitly stopped? Where would new zombies even come from?" His more analytical friend responded, pausing her game to join millions watching the unfolding event.
"No! It's definitely possible! Iron Man only stopped that particular virus leak. Don't forget, Umbrella Corporation created the T-virus—they're the real final boss in this scenario. What we witnessed was clearly just the tutorial level—there's definitely more complex narrative ahead!" A third friend chimed in, her background in story analysis shaping her interpretation.
"Ugh? Again with zombies? Sure, blasting undead hordes was entertaining from a safe distance, but the concept's starting to get stale." A bartender in Tokyo commented to patrons gathered around the establishment's television.
"Yeah, wasn't this supposed to be about multiversal invasions, plural? The concept implies variety—it shouldn't be that repetitive, right?" A businessman nursing a whiskey responded, his curiosity overcoming his usual disinterest in sensationalist media.
"..."
The internet exploded with speculation and commentary, discussion forums and social platforms buckling under unprecedented traffic as humanity collectively theorized about what might come next. Wildly divergent predictions competed for attention across every digital platform still functioning under the system's broadcast override.
Everyone had a different interpretation, arguing positions with passionate intensity rarely seen outside religious and political disputes.
Until...
The flickering images on the global broadcast finally began to stabilize, random flashes of potential realities slowing their frantic rotation...
And then—!
The cosmic roulette wheel stopped spinning!
——
"It's... that kind of world?!" Nick Fury's single eye widened perceptibly, his normally unflappable demeanor cracking just enough to reveal genuine astonishment—as if the outcome represented the last possibility he would have wagered on.
——
Livestream screen
Various fantastic realms had flashed by in rapid succession during the selection process—worlds of dragons and magic, post-apocalyptic wastelands, futuristic utopias, alien landscapes defying human comprehension—but ultimately froze on a single, unexpected frame:
A bustling modern metropolis that appeared, at first glance, eerily similar to Earth itself.
Busy streets filled with pedestrians going about their daily lives, people laughing and chatting in outdoor cafés, a peaceful atmosphere of ordinary commerce and social interaction—completely different from the apocalyptic dread and survival horror that had characterized the first invasion round.
This time... they were entering what appeared to be another modern metropolis?!
The seeming mundanity of the selection sent a new wave of confusion and speculation racing through global consciousness. If the first invasion had taught humanity anything, it was that appearances could be deceiving—and that ordinary façades often concealed extraordinary dangers.
What secrets awaited discovery in this seemingly familiar urban landscape? What forces might lurk beneath its conventional exterior? And most importantly—what rewards might be claimed by those daring or desperate enough to venture into this new dimensional breach?
Su Xiu, watching the same broadcast as billions of others but with uniquely informed perspective, allowed himself a small, knowing smile. The game was afoot once more—and this time, he was fully prepared to maximize his advantages from the very beginning.