(General POV)
In the midst of the confrontation, Kaiji felt his heart pounding against his chest like a war drum, his grip on the club steady as he faced off against the enraged Spider-Man. As the tension thickened in the air, Spider-Man's attention remained fixated on Venom, his resolve evident.
The atmosphere crackled with anticipation, every heartbeat echoing the uncertainty of what would unfold next. Would Spider-Man manage to resist his seething rage, akin to Eddie's struggle against the symbiote's influence?
Or would he fall into the darkness?
Spider-Man's presence seemed to cast a shadow over the surroundings, his negative energy tainting the very air with an oppressive weight. Born of a radioactive spider bite, his existence was defined by superhuman abilities that elevated him above ordinary mortals.
His strength and agility surpassed the bounds of human capability, and with these powers came heightened emotions, amplified to an almost overwhelming degree. The miasma of negative energy swirling around him seemed to coalesce into a tangible force, suffusing the atmosphere with a dark aura that Kaiji could feel pressing against his senses.
"His cursed energy is overwhelming," Kaiji thought, his sorcerer's intuition alerting him to the potential dangers lurking within Spider-Man's tumultuous emotions. "If left unchecked, it could give rise to a Cursed Spirit, a malevolent force born of his inner turmoil."
"Of all Marvel's heroes, I never anticipated my first battle would be against Spider-Man," Kaiji admitted, his disappointment evident. "But if I don't intervene, there might not be a Marvel left."
"If I allow the darkness to consume him, Spider-Man could obliterate everything before I even get the opportunity to challenge the Living Tribunal and surpass him," Kaiji's eyes narrowed as he contemplated his ultimate goal of becoming the strongest. "I may never have the chance to surpass the One Above All!"
"With his connection to the Web of Life and the Symbiotes, Spider-Man could indeed become an unstoppable force," Kaiji mused, his mind racing as he sought a solution to the impending crisis. "Think, Kai! Think!"
"What would someone as intelligent as Megumi do to resolve the situation? Think!" Kaiji urged himself on, pushing his mental faculties to the limit.
"Kill Spider-Man?" He anticipated the grim suggestion.
It sounded like the only option in the brief window of opportunity that Kaiji currently had. "Or call for help from an experienced Sorcerer in this world?"
"Call Doctor Strange?" Kaiji pondered. "How do I even do that?"
He couldn't come up with a way to summon the master of the mystic arts.
"Or should I just take a gamble and believe in myself. Use my power and brain to resolve this mess. Empower the Divine Dog to enact damage so as to save him. Extract his rage and exorcise it, since, it is after all, the source of his Cursed Energy?" Kaiji's thoughts raced as he made deductions from all the information he had gathered.
Seeing Spider-man's eyes glaring red beneath the mask, and knowing the feud between him and Venom, Kaiji had concluded the potential that Spider-Man had snapped due to bottled-up rage. It at least explained why Spider-Man wasn't thinking straight, and why he was contemplating on finishing Venom.
Even the strong presence of Cursed Energy in the environment provided Kaiji with a direct clue it was undoubtedly fueled by a potent, negative emotion. And the only one he could readily associate with the color red was rage.
Kaiji's fist tightened around the strengthened club, his expression reflecting his profound indecision.
Woof!
The sharp sound of his Divine Pup, propelled by killer instincts, charging directly at Spider-Man snapped Kaiji out of his inner turmoil, grounding him back to reality. His gaze followed the Shikigami's movement, perplexed.
"What the-?" he wondered aloud as he witnessed the pup's run morph into powerful leaps, its form expanding in size. "How is-"
The answer dawned on him as he felt the energy pulsating around him. The Divine Pup, once just a mere puppy, was rapidly maturing, absorbing boundless Cursed Energy directly.
Its growth was undeniable as Kaiji watched it transform into a familiar and formidable figure—a majestic White Divine Dog, poised to sink its teeth into Spider-Man.
"Waaait!" Kaiji's plea came too late as the attack was already underway. He hadn't anticipated the pup's rapid growth, but he understood the potential consequences—an enhanced version capable of dealing a devastating blow to Spider-Man.
The Divine Pup's ferocity could lead to Spider-Man's demise, a consequence Kaiji couldn't abide by. What good would it achieve to stop Spider-Man from killing Venom if it meant sacrificing Spider-Man himself? Kaiji had to believe in the goodness within the web-slinger, whether conscious or subconscious.
However, his command to halt the attack came too late for the initial strike.
But even without the ability to see the Shikigami, Spider-Man's heightened senses would alert him to impending dangers, particularly if they were life-threatening.
Barely concerned about the identity of the attacker, an enraged Spider-Man deviated from his usual demeanor, extending his free hand (left) to intercept the incoming, invinsible attack.
This altered version of Spider-Man strayed from convention. Instead of evading the assault with his typical agility or resorting to web-slinging tactics, he opted for sheer force, a manifestation of the growing rage consuming him.
This departure from his usual tactics proved costly for Spider-Man as the Divine Dog utilized its claws to scratch his arm, freeing itself from his grip on its neck.
But Spider-Man remained numb, consumed by rage to the point where he didn't flinch or react to the pain in any way. His focus remained unwaveringly fixed on Venom.
The Divine Dog, obedient to Kaiji's commands, remained motionless, poised but refraining from further attack for the time being.
With a determined yet eerily calm demeanor, Spider-Man utilized his recently injured left hand to shoot a webline. Gripping it tightly, he swung himself and Venom into the air with a singular intention - to finish off his adversary by subjecting him to searing heat until nothing remained but ashes.
His attention hadn't wavered; he had been paying close heed all along.
Refusing to be left behind, Kai summoned the now-matured Divine Dog closer and leapt onto its back, issuing a command for it to follow Spider-Man closely and remain within the aura of his immense Cursed Energy.
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
His mind juggled dual tasks: elaborating his plan to resolve the situation while simultaneously absorbing the newfound information provided by the Interface.
---
(Mission Update)
5. Feeding on the Dark (self, Weapons, Shikigami) - Completed Successfully.
---
"Leap as high as you can, utilizing as much Cursed Energy as necessary. Our priority is to remain within Spider-Man's range," Kaiji instructed the Divine Dog firmly as they approached the airborne Spider-Man. "I have a plan to end this. While it appears logical in theory, its practical implementation remains to be seen."
Kaiji's mind had been tirelessly at work, finally uncovering a solution that resonated with his jujutsu sorcerer instincts. If rage was fueling Spider-Man's overwhelming Cursed Energy and clouding his judgment, then exorcising it became imperative.
However, rage was merely an emotion, intricately entwined with memories. Somewhere within Spider-Man's consciousness lay a triggering memory, the catalyst for his current state.
That's as far as he had planned when the White Divine Dog endeavored to mimic a City Crawler, leaping onto building tops and using its claws to anchor itself and Kaiji as they pursued the web-slinger towards the skyline, once again. However, this unconventional mode of transportation proved to be a rough and regrettable experience for Kaiji.
(Venom's POV)
Venom and Eddie remained locked in a fierce internal struggle, their conflicting desires battling for dominance. Despite Eddie's valiant efforts to resist the insidious influence of the symbiote, Venom's greater experience in symbiotic relationships gradually allowed it to gain the upper hand.
With a triumphant roar, Venom emerged victorious from the tumultuous fray of their minds, seizing control with an iron grip. As Spider-Man attempted to execute a plan, Venom sensed the shift and erupted into a riot, wresting control away from the web-slinger as well.
Crashing Spider-Man into a nearby pole, Venom reveled in his presumed victory, fueled by the realization that Spider-Man had plotted against him. His triumph was tinged with a dark amusement as he looked down upon his adversary.
"How sentimental," Venom sneered, his voice dripping with malice. "You had your chance, yet you chose a specific location to end me. It seems a little bit of your humanity still lingers."
With a menacing grin, Venom vowed to eradicate any remaining traces of Spider-Man's influence.
"Don't worry, I'll do well to remove it, permanently," he hissed, his words laced with venomous intent.
Pushing himself with speed and agility, Venom tactfully homed in on Spider-Man's very essence. Even if it meant completely obliterating Spider-Man's soul, Spider-Man would be his.
And Venom was not about to leave anything to chance. He zeroed in on his target, to seize full control of Earth-616's Spider-Man, distinct from the Spider-Man of his own home world.
(Spider-Man's Memories - That Fatefull Day)
It was the day that Spider-Man came to grips with the profound wisdom encapsulated in his uncle's final words: With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility.
However, on that very same day, a stark contrast emerged: With Great Power, Follows a Great Darkness.
In the familiar house of the Parkers, tragedy struck when Uncle Ben's life was abruptly snuffed out. Earlier, Spider-Man had chosen to turn a blind eye to a robbery, convinced it wasn't his burden to bear. Little did he realize the lasting impact of that decision.
Upon returning home later that night, he made the grim discovery of his uncle's lifeless body, a victim of the very criminal he had neglected to confront. The weight of guilt and grief that followed would shape Spider-Man's sense of duty and define his journey as a hero.
But before guilt and grief could carve their indelible marks on his heroic path, Spider-Man grappled with a different adversary: the seething rage he harbored towards himself and the criminal he had disregarded. It was a formidable evil, one he valiantly battled and imprisoned behind the metaphorical red door of his consciousness.
Yet, since that fateful night, every emanation of negativity from Spider-Man unwittingly nourished the darkness festering within him, nurturing it with pure malice.
And fully nurtured and grown, the rage within him had finally been unleashed by Venom's words. Having intensified over time, consuming Spider-Man took only a matter of seconds. And slowly by slowly, he was losing his remaining humanity to his bottled-up rage.
(Spider-Man's POV)
"NO, NO, NO!" Spider-Man's desperate mantra echoed through his mind as he fought to maintain a tenuous grip on reality. Despite his efforts, the relentless onslaught of negative memories threatened to shatter his resolve entirely. His rage, cunning and malevolent, orchestrated the torment, expertly selecting memories designed to evoke the deepest grief and guilt.
Ironically, the most haunting recollections were not of past events, but rather of imagined tragedies - vivid visions of the worst possible outcomes, each one a dagger to his already fragile psyche. The memory of Uncle Ben's lifeless body haunted him, intertwined with fictional scenarios of unimaginable loss: Aunt May's grave, Gwen Stacy gasping for breath as her world collapsed around her.
With each replay, Spider-Man's world crumbled a little more within his consciousness, leaving his will fractured and vulnerable. His malevolent rage, long suppressed but now unleashed, seized upon this vulnerability, its tendrils weaving through his thoughts with insidious intent. After years of confinement, it knew that victory was finally within reach.
It yearned to surge forth and unveil itself to the world - a new incarnation of Spider-Man, fueled by darkness and driven by a singular purpose: to purge the world of evil.
"What is this?" Suddenly, Spider-Man's rage domination was interrupted by a dark disturbance. "What's going on?"
(Kai's POV)
Determined to remain within the tumult of Spider-Man's rage, I bore witness as Venom wrested control from Eddie, once again dominating Spider-Man. Without hesitation, Venom lunged towards Spider-Man, intent on merging his symbiotic self with the web-slinger.
But just as the fusion began, a twist of fate intervened. Spider-Man's raging turmoil was abruptly pulled into our current plane of existence, manifesting before my eyes in a swirling vortex of crimson energy.
"It remains attached to Spider-Man," I observed keenly, swiftly grasping the gravity of the situation. "It doesn't have a defined shape. It's merely a mass of negative energy pulsating in the air, surrounded by a shroud of Cursed Energy."
"Bring me closer," I commanded the Divine Dog with unwavering resolve, my grip on the club tightening with determination. "I must attempt to exorcise it before it dissipates or separates."
"Venom can only merge with one consciousness, and Spider-Man harbors two," I reasoned, reinforcing my understanding of the situation. "That could explain why Spider-Man's rage manifested on this plane during the fusion attempt."
As I closed the distance, I swung my club with precision, striking the swirling manifestation of rage that struggled against Venom's grasp, desperate to remain within Spider-Man.
Meanwhile, Venom had swiftly adapted to the sudden shift in circumstances, his objectives evolving as he coveted Spider-Man's rage with newfound fervor.
Pow!
The impact reverberated through my arm, the force far greater than I had anticipated. Yet, it was the reaction that I had been banking on. The manifestation convulsed violently in response to my strike, eliciting a pained cry from Spider-Man that underscored the magnitude of the blow.
However, to my dismay, the manifestation did not dissipate. It remained stubbornly resilient, indicating that exorcising it would require more than a single blow.
"It's tougher than iron," I remarked, wincing as I blew on my hands to alleviate the searing pain. "If I hadn't reinforced this club with Cursed Energy, it would've shattered into pieces."
"Once more!" I urged the Divine Dog, directing it to maneuver while evading Venom's gaze and positioning me for another strike. Doubt gnawed at me - I wasn't certain if my club would endure the next blow, nor if my hands would withstand the strain.
But it was my sorcerer duty to exorcise evil, and I had to abide by that instinctual knowledge.
"This time, we'll both strike," I declared, seeking to diversify our approach. I directed the Divine Dog to join me in the assault as I leaped from its back, ready to unleash our combined might. "Don't hold back."
As Spider-Man's body hung in the balance, tethered by a fragile thread to his raging emotions, which in turn were linked to Venom's relentless pursuit of consumption, I knew our moment to act was now.
"Hyaaaaa!" I summoned every ounce of strength within me as I ascended toward the swirling vortex of rage, the Divine Dog at my side, ready to lend its formidable power to our cause.
With unwavering resolve burning deep within me, I channeled all my faith into the belief that we could exorcise this malevolent force. With determination coursing through my veins, I swung my reinforced club with all my might, while the Divine Dog bared its sharp, reinforced teeth in readiness to strike.
Fwuuuussshhhh...
In a sudden rush, the manifested rage dissipated as my club pierced through its Cursed Energy barrier.
Edited.
A Symbol to remind that there's more to See.
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