While Kino and Venom were leisurely walking along the sidewalk, the deafening roar of an engine suddenly came from ahead, followed by intense gunfire and the terrified screams of pedestrians.
Kino looked up and saw a black car charging down the street like a runaway horse.
At that speed, it would crash into the innocent crowd in just a few seconds.
After finally getting the chance to enjoy their honeymoon, he didn't want this sudden chaos disturbing them.
Just as Kino was about to act, a dazzling yellow bolt of lightning suddenly flashed beside him. The world in his eyes instantly came to a standstill.
The terrified expressions of the pedestrians froze on their faces, the speeding car stopped in place, and the bullets fired into the sky hung suspended in midair.
Besides Venom and Kino, there was also a naked man beside them.
The Flash, Barry Allen, hurriedly put on his red suit at incredible speed, then began moving the pedestrians off the street at a dizzying pace.
When it was Venom and Kino's turn, Barry nervously rubbed his hands and stared straight at Venom, sighing, "I'm so jealous of you. When will I ever find a girlfriend?"
As he spoke, he reached out to grab Venom and Kino by the arms, but his hands closed on empty air.
"We'll spare you the trouble," Kino replied.
Barry raised his head at that and met their gazes.
Barry's eyes widened in astonishment. This was the first time he'd ever seen someone keep up with his speed.
Under the tension, Barry actually exited his Speed Force state.
"Ah!" the pedestrians screamed in terror.
Barry came back to himself and realized that he hadn't finished rescuing everyone. Just as he was about to enter his Speed Force state again, his stomach growled. He hadn't eaten lunch and was out of energy.
"Let me handle it."
Kino stepped forward and faced the oncoming car, then stomped down on it with one foot.
The car's airbags all deployed. The driver inside was still desperately pressing the accelerator, and the tires scraped against the ground, producing clouds of white smoke.
Barry stood to the side, dumbfounded. Although he could also stop the vehicle, this absolute suppression through sheer strength still left him deeply shaken.
The car finally came to a stop. Immediately afterward, the doors were violently pushed open, and two robbers carrying guns climbed out.
The robbers jumped from the car, their eyes bloodshot as they cursed, "You ruined my plans! Go to hell!"
They raised their guns and fired wildly at Kino.
Kino reached out. Several afterimages flashed through the air, and he caught every bullet. In his hand, they instantly fused into a copper ball.
"I'll say this only once. Get on your knees and beg for mercy."
The two robbers not only refused to listen, but cursed even more arrogantly. "Hmph! What can you do to us? Come on, if you've got the guts!"
As they spoke, they changed magazines and prepared to sweep the surrounding pedestrians with gunfire.
Kino instantly appeared beside them, moving so quickly that only an afterimage remained. He bent their gun barrels with ease, then grabbed both of them by the neck and lifted them into the air.
"Aren't you afraid of death?" Kino asked coldly.
The robbers snorted mockingly and said disdainfully, "You superheroes don't kill people. Go ahead and do it, if you've got the guts!"
Seeing that Kino made no move, the robbers' faces filled with smug smiles.
Although many superheroes had appeared after Superman's death, each with different abilities, Superman had set an example. They likewise didn't kill, and merely spent a few days in prison.
Hearing that, Kino revealed a faint smile. "I've never said I was a hero."
"W-what? You're not a hero?"
The robbers finally realized that something was wrong, and their voices began to tremble.
"I came out on a date today, so I indeed won't kill you," Kino said slowly.
Before the robbers could breathe a sigh of relief, Kino continued coldly, "But whether you can survive in hell will depend on your own abilities."
The robbers' expressions changed drastically.
"Wait, we can talk..."
Before he could finish, Kino released his grip.
He fell into a portal that suddenly appeared, and the car beside him vanished in the blink of an eye as well.
When the robber landed hard on his butt, the sharp pain finally brought him back to his senses.
"Hahaha, I knew we wouldn't... die." He laughed loudly, but his laughter abruptly stopped, and his gaze grew vacant.
They were in the middle of a massive arena, surrounded by a ring of hideous demons.
The demons also stared curiously at the pair who had suddenly appeared, as though appraising novel prey.
"Boss, we've gone to hell."
One of his companions beside him spoke in a trembling voice.
Is this a hallucination? the robber thought.
Before he could verify it, a green figure flew over and instantly smashed them into a mist of blood.
"Hulk is angry!" Hulk roared as he stood up. Seeing the car that had suddenly appeared nearby, he brought his hands down and split it in two.
Holding the front half in one hand and the rear half in the other, he looked as though he had put on a pair of enormous boxing gloves. He smashed them together, producing a deafening boom.
"Hulk, come at me again! Is that all you've got?!" Abomination taunted. He had seen the two robbers appear, but hadn't cared in the slightest.
"Hulk, strongest!"
Hulk roared. His thick legs kicked off the ground, and he charged toward Abomination like a moving mountain.
Abomination neither dodged nor retreated. After taking Hulk's series of wide punches head-on, he staggered backward, yet an unrestrained smile appeared on his face.
On his body, where his ribs had been visible, his muscles rapidly swelled as if inflated, becoming exceptionally full and solid in the blink of an eye.
His originally sunken skin was stretched taut by bulging muscles, radiating a terrifying sense of power.
"My strength is increasing!"
Abomination shouted and kicked Hulk into the wall. He immediately charged forward, pinned Hulk in the corner, and began pummeling him.
The ferocious assault shattered the rock wall behind Hulk, instantly turning it into scalding magma. If the arena hadn't been reinforced by Mountain Demon, it would have long since been reduced to rubble.
Although Abomination was currently beating Hulk down, he had won only a handful of times during this period.
If he couldn't knock Hulk unconscious before Hulk's strength reached its peak, he would be the one to lose.
"Hulk, keep it up!"
"Abomination, smash him!"
The demons in the stands cheered for their favored fighter, their cries shaking the heavens.
Yū was also watching the match from the highest point of the stands. Beside her was an empty throne.
This arena had been Young Master's idea. He'd said that the demons had too much energy and should be given a place to vent it. Once there were more people, they could even charge admission.
So far, it seemed to be working well. The demons had also become much more obedient during this period.
Before long, Hulk's massive hands, like a pair of iron pincers, clamped tightly around Abomination's arm.
The moment he grabbed him, Abomination felt an irresistible force surge over, locking his arm in place as firmly as iron chains. He couldn't move it at all.
Abomination knew in his heart that he'd missed his chance this time.
Hulk suddenly smashed his head into him, and Abomination instantly became dizzy before collapsing to the ground.
The entire arena erupted in cheers.
The cries of "Hulk! Hulk!" resounded throughout the arena.
Hulk raised his arms high and responded excitedly, satisfaction written across his face. He liked it here.
After a while, Abomination regained consciousness, and a hand extended in front of him.
Abomination grabbed the hand and was pulled to his feet.
"I lost to you again. You really are strong."
"Hulk, strongest."
Although the two had initially been enemies locked in a fight to the death, after battling for so long during this period, they had developed a bond.
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