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Sandman vs. Deep Sea King: This contest, representing the Association's highest individual combat strength against a Dragon-level threat, has become the eye of the storm in the entire Tokyo Bay battlefield. Every swirling of his sand, every flash of his crystalline light, stirs the hearts of countless people and proclaims to the world the true value of the Hero Association's top-tier combat power.
Chapter 66: Spider-Man's Highlight Moment
The chaos in Tokyo Bay was like a giant whirlpool, swallowing order, reason, and life. The chaos was even more intense in the area bordering Sector C and Sector B, a little further from the main defense line of Sector A. This area was repeatedly battered by the waves and debris thrown up by the "Deep Sea King," with buildings collapsing on a large scale, roads twisted and broken, forming countless dangerous traps and isolated islands. Official evacuation forces were stretched thin here, and the association's rescue heroes were also scattered as they needed to prioritize the main defense line and the denser civilian areas.
A red and blue figure moved through this death zone with an almost dance-like trajectory.
Peter Parker, Spider-Man, felt like a steel ball thrown into a crazy pinball machine. Amidst the collapsing concrete jungle, the surging floodwaters, and the flying debris, he relied on the extreme warnings provided by his spider-sense and the extraordinary mobility provided by his webs to engage in an extreme race against death.
His combat suit was covered in mud, blood, and an unknown slime, and his breathing beneath the mask was rapid and hot. He didn't go to Sector A to confront the god-like "Deep Sea King" head-on; that wasn't a battle he could participate in at the moment. The mission assigned to him by the system, and the choice in his heart, both clearly pointed to this—rescue.
"Left! The third floor of that half-collapsed apartment building! There's a life signal! Two, one strong and one weak!" Peter's spider-sense, like the most sophisticated radar, picked up the faint distress signal amidst the noisy battlefield background. With a flick of his wrist, a milky-white spider silk precisely stuck to a steel beam jutting out diagonally high above, and his body swung out, narrowly avoiding a burning billboard falling from the sky.
Like a nimble swift, he darted through the broken window into the crumbling apartment building. Inside, chaos reigned; seawater had reached his calves. A middle-aged man, his face streaked with sweat and tears, was desperately trying to lift the heavy wardrobe that was pressing down on his wife's legs.
"Hey! Need a hand?" Peter's voice came through the mask, carrying the youthful energy that was trying to soothe people.
Before the other party could answer, he shot out spider silk from his hands, which stuck to the sides of the wardrobe. With a "hey," his muscles tensed, and he actually lifted the solid wood wardrobe several tens of centimeters!
"Quick! Get her out!" Peter urged.
The man snapped out of his daze and quickly carried his wife, who was groaning in pain, out of the closet. Peter carefully put the closet down and quickly checked the woman's injuries: a fracture, but no life-threatening danger.
"Hold on to her, hold on tight!" Peter used spider silk to secure himself and the man from behind, then swung out the window again, leaping between buildings to safely deliver them to a temporary medical point set up by the association's logistics department in the distance.
"Thank you! Thank you, Spider-Man!" the man said, his voice choked with emotion.
Peter simply waved his hand and turned back into the dangerous area. He had no time for thanks; his spider-sense stung again—this time from the entrance to an underground parking garage that was almost completely submerged by seawater.
He took a deep breath and plunged into the murky, icy sea. Underwater visibility was extremely low, with floating debris and twisted car wrecks everywhere. His spider-sense was interfered with here, becoming blurred. He could only grope his way forward by feeling and the occasional faint tapping sound.
Finally, next to a crushed car, he found the source—a young man trapped in the driver's seat, the seawater already up to his chest. He was using his last strength to pound on the deformed car door with a wrench, his eyes filled with despair.
Peter swam over and tried to open the car door, but it was badly deformed and wouldn't budge. He tried using spider silk, but underwater, the silk's stickiness and strength were greatly reduced.
time is limited!
Peter's eyes narrowed, he braced his hands against the gap in the car door, pushed his feet against the wreckage beside him, and unleashed his full strength!
"Creak—!!"
A sickening metallic creak echoed underwater as he, with superhuman strength, tore a gap in the sturdy car door!
He quickly pulled the nearly suffocating young man out, held him with one hand, and shot a specially made, more waterproof "diving spider silk" upwards with the other hand. He then kicked his legs hard and shot upwards like a rocket!
"Splash!" The two burst out of the water. Peter placed the young man on a floating platform and gasped for breath himself.
"Over there! On the roof of the gymnasium! A group of students are trapped! The roof is about to collapse!" The young man who had just been rescued pointed weakly in one direction.
Peter looked up and his heart sank. The dome of the large stadium had developed huge cracks and was groaning in the wind and waves, while on the roof, he could vaguely see dozens of figures huddled together.
Without any hesitation, Peter swung again. This time, he was no longer alone.
"Hey! You over there who can fly! And you who can run fast! Help me out!" Peter shouted into the channel while shooting webs toward the stadium.
Upon hearing this, a C-level hero with low-altitude hovering ability and a speed-type hero immediately changed direction and followed.
"I'll make a zipline out of spider silk, and you'll be responsible for providing support and stabilizing the area!" Peter quickly assigned tasks, not even realizing that he had unconsciously adopted a tone similar to that of an association commander.
Like a top-notch acrobat, he weaved through the collapsed steel frame of the stadium, his wrists flicking, creating strands of resilient spider silk that crisscrossed in the air, quickly forming several "aerial lifelines" connecting the stadium roof to a distant safety platform.
"Quick! Slide down the spider web! Don't look down!" Peter shouted to the terrified students on the roof.
Low-altitude hovering heroes are ready to catch those who have fallen, while speed-type heroes organize order on the safe platform and catch those who slide over.
The students screamed, but their survival instincts compelled them to grab onto the spiderwebs one by one and slide towards safety. Peter, meanwhile, stood on the most dangerous edge of the constantly collapsing dome, using his body to shield himself from falling debris while continuously reinforcing and adjusting the spiderweb zipline.
As the last student slid away safely and Peter prepared to leave, the supporting steel beam beneath his feet made a snapping sound as it could no longer bear the weight!
"Watch out!" the speed-type hero exclaimed from the opposing team.
Peter reacted with lightning speed, shooting out a web just before he fell to the ground and clinging to a still intact structure in the distance, his body hanging precariously in mid-air. He glanced down at the churning sea and towering ruins below, his heart pounding.
"Well done, Spider-Man!" The hovering hero flew over and gave him a thumbs up.
Peter swung to the safety platform, looked at the group of students who were still in shock but unharmed, and saw the approving glances from the other association heroes around him. A tired but satisfied smile appeared on his face behind the mask.
He didn't defeat any powerful monsters, nor did he perform any earth-shattering feats. But in his own way, on this battlefield shrouded in the shadow of destruction, he protected one specific, vibrant life after another.
However, just as he relaxed slightly, his spider-sense issued another warning, but this time it wasn't due to physical danger, but rather a... feeling of being watched.
He turned his head sharply and saw a reporter not far away, covering the scene, who seemed to have been pointing his camera at him for a long time. Even through the mask, Peter felt a strange unease. He thought of Aunt May, and the warmth and unease that "family care package" had brought.
If Aunt May saw this scene on television and recognized his figure... what kind of danger would it bring to Aunt May if his identity were exposed?
This worry, like cold rain, instantly extinguished the slight warmth he had just felt from the successful rescue.
He lowered his head, no longer making eye contact with any cameras, silently checked the remaining power of the web emitter, then swung up again, his figure disappearing into the depths of the increasingly chaotic street.
He saved many people, but Peter Parker's troubles and crises did not dissipate because of this great battle. Instead, like the dark clouds over Tokyo Bay, they grew even heavier.
Chapter 67: Iron Man's Accidental Injury
Above Tokyo Bay, the gold and red Iron Man, like a death dancer weaving through thunderstorms and giant waves, unleashed destructive flames upon the mountain-like body of "Deep Sea King." Beneath Tony Stark's visor, a stream of data flowed at high speed, accompanied by a focused intensity tinged with excitement and anxiety. Jarvis meticulously marked the target's outer shell, analyzing energy flow patterns, attempting to pinpoint the deep-sea behemoth's Achilles' heel.
"Sir, an abnormally active energy reading has been detected at the gap in the third deck on the target's back, suspected to be some kind of energy core or vital organ," Jarvis calmly advised.
"I saw it!" Tony nimbly flipped to the side, dodging a giant tentacle that swept towards him, and instantly charged his Palm Cannon to its limit. "Come and try this, a seafood feast!"
The blinding beam of energy, like a spear of judgment, struck precisely at the point Jarvis had marked. Tony had used almost the maximum output of his armor's individual weapon in this attack; he was confident that even if he couldn't severely injure it, he could at least give the monster a run for its money.
However, just a moment before the energy beam was about to hit, the "Deep Sea King" seemed to sense the threat, and its massive body twisted suddenly with an agility disproportionate to its size! At the same time, the eerie light flowing on the dark scales on its body surface intensified abruptly, forming a distorting force field!
"Warning! Target is evading and generating an unknown energy deflection field!" Jarvis's voice rang out urgently.
Tony watched helplessly as his deadly beam was slightly but fatally deflected the moment it touched the distorting force field! It didn't hit the intended vital point, but instead grazed the Deep Sea King's back armor and shot towards the A-sector defenses at a tricky angle!
That area was where Flint Marco, the Sandman, had just spent a great deal of effort constructing a crystallized sand platform to stabilize the foundation of the defensive line and provide a safe output position for several Association heroes who were good at fixed-point sniping or energy focusing!
"What...?!" Tony's pupils contracted sharply.
Everything happens in a flash of lightning.
The beam of light, which had deviated from its trajectory and contained the peak energy of the Iron Man armor, slammed into the edge of the crystallized sand platform like a meteorite from outer space!
"boom--!!!"
The deafening explosion drowned out all other noises on the battlefield! A blinding flash of light instantly engulfed the area!
Under the terrifying energy impact at such close range, the crystallized sand platform shattered like glass struck by a heavy hammer, emitting a cracking sound as it collapsed and disintegrated on a large scale! Fragments of crystallized sand flew outwards like shrapnel!
On the platform, a B-class hero codenamed "Energizer" was preparing to guide the energy of his surrounding companions for a joint attack. Before he could react, he was violently blown away by the shockwave of the explosion. His energy focusing device overloaded and exploded instantly, and he fell into the murky seawater below like a kite with a broken string!
Another hero with the "Rock Skin" ability, although he withstood the damage from the blast core with his own defense, was hit by countless high-speed flying crystallized sand fragments. His hard rock skin was cut with countless deep wounds that exposed bone. He screamed and staggered backward, almost falling into the sea.
Flint, the Sandman directly beneath the platform who was doing his utmost to stabilize the sand base of the defensive line, also suffered a violent impact and energy backlash. He groaned, a trickle of blood spilling from the corner of his mouth, and the foundation of the recently stabilized defensive line shook violently, almost creating a breach in the flank defenses.
"Who did this?!"
"It's Iron Man! The Avengers missed!"
The association's communication channel erupted instantly! Shouts of shock and anger, incredulous questions, and painful groans mingled together.
The "Energizer" hero who was thrown into the sea was barely pulled up by a nearby companion with the ability to fly, but he was already in a coma with weak vital signs and was quickly sent to a rear medical point.
Flint the Sandman looked up at the golden-red figure in the air, and for the first time, a real rage ignited in his usually calm and even somewhat naive eyes. He didn't speak, but his clenched fists and the sand swirling wildly around him, a result of his turbulent emotions, said it all.
Tony Stark hovered in mid-air, looking down at the mess he had created and the Association hero being hastily evacuated. His expression beneath his visor turned extremely grim. He could even clearly hear the angry and contemptuous curses coming from the Association's channel through the external microphone of his suit.
"Stark! What the hell are you doing?!" A furious voice rang out directly in the temporary emergency channel shared by the Avengers and the Association. It was a commander from the Association's front lines, who was clearly enraged and didn't care about etiquette.
Tony opened his mouth, wanting to explain that it was the "Deep Sea King's" force field deflection, or that it was an accident, but all the reasons seemed pale and powerless in the face of the tragic consequences before him.
"I... the target evaded..." His voice came through the visor, carrying a dryness that he himself was unaware of.
"Evade? Are you fucking blind?! Look what you've done! You almost wiped out our people!" The association commander's voice was almost a roar.
"Watch your words!" Natasha's calm but warning voice cut in, defending her teammates. "This was an accident; the battlefield situation changes in an instant."
"An accident? You call that an accident?! We're risking our lives to build this defensive line, and you guys are just shooting wildly from up here!" Another association hero's voice joined in, filled with indignation.
"Enough!" Steve Rogers' voice was like a rock, forcefully silencing the argument in the channel. "Stark, report the situation. Everyone in the Association, please prioritize treating the wounded and stabilizing the defenses. Arguing won't solve anything!"
The channel fell silent for a moment, but the invisible, cold barrier and distrust spread rapidly between the two sides like a plague.
Tony clenched his fists tightly, his thrusters surging, propelling him into the air and away from the defensive line area that had become even more chaotic because of him. He no longer looked towards the Association, but instead unleashed all his anger and frustration on the "Deep Sea King" below, his attacks becoming even more ferocious and reckless.
"Jarvis! Recalculate the trajectory! Take all interference factors into account! I won't allow this to happen a second time!" he growled in the internal channel, his voice carrying a hint of barely perceptible annoyance and... a hint of shame and indignation at being publicly humiliated.
This accidental injury, like a poisonous thorn, has deeply embedded itself in the already strained relationship between the two parties. It clearly reveals a harsh reality: without unified command and effective coordination, overwhelming force is not necessarily an aid; rather, it can become the most dangerous bomb in one's vicinity.
The heroes of the association looked at the golden-red armored figure in the sky with a gaze that no longer held the slight curiosity or envy that might have existed before. Instead, there was vigilance, anger, and a sense of alienation as someone "not of our kind."
All of this was clearly seen by Kingpin on the top floor of Fisk Tower and by Fury in the S.H.I.E.L.D. command center.
Kingpin's face was expressionless, but a cold, knowing glint flashed deep in his eyes.
Fury rubbed his temples, his single eye filled with helplessness and expected frustration.
Chaos was exacerbated by friendly fire. Trust crumbled amidst the gunfire. The internal divisions within this war between humans and monsters seemed more deadly than the external threats.
Chapter 68: Captain America's Command and the Association's Coordination
The battlefield in Tokyo Bay was like a giant, chaotic furnace. Iron Man's accidental injury was like a boulder thrown in, the ripples of which had yet to subside. Amidst the cacophony of explosions, roaring waves, and the creaking of metal, Steve Rogers—Captain America—attempted to inject a touch of order into the chaos with his signature composure and authority.
He stood atop a half-collapsed building, his star-patterned shield still conspicuous in the dim light. Rainwater mingled with seawater, streaming down his resolute face, but his eyes, sharp as an eagle's, swiftly scanned the entire area. Years of combat experience allowed him to instantly spot a tiny flaw in the "Deep Sea King's" defenses against multiple pressures—a brief blind spot and a relatively weak point in its structural support had appeared between its massive left rear body and its main attacking tentacles.
"Attention all units! This is Steve Rogers!" His voice boomed through the makeshift emergency communication channel connecting the Avengers and the Association's front lines, steady and powerful, attempting to pierce the battlefield's noise. "Target: left rear flank area, the junction of the third and fourth torsos, defenses are intermittently weakening! Stark, Barton, concentrate fire on that area! Romanov, look for opportunities to get close and disrupt its balance perception! Association members, maintain frontal pressure and draw its primary attention!"
Clear instructions and well-defined objectives are his preferred tactics: leveraging teamwork to form a pincer movement, seizing fleeting opportunities to deliver a devastating blow. In his years leading the Howling Commandos, this command model, based on absolute trust and highly efficient execution, has proven consistently effective.
However, a brief, suffocating silence fell over the channel.
Only brief responses came through the Avengers' internal communication channel: "Roger, Captain." (Stark), "Target locked." (Barton).
The association's public communication channel, however, seemed to operate independently, continuing at its own pace, interspersed with cold electronic notifications and formatted reports, completely ignoring his voice.
[The stability of the sand base in Area A has recovered to 87%, and the Sand People continue to maintain their crystallized defensive barrier.]
[12 small aquatic monsters have been eliminated at location 4 in Area B; the threat is temporarily averted.]
[Medical point in Zone C reports receiving one seriously injured person; vital signs are stable.]
[System notification: Regional fluctuations detected in target energy; data acquisition in progress...]
Steve's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly. He spoke again, his voice rising slightly, with an undeniable emphasis: "Repeat! Friends of the Association, please coordinate your actions and concentrate your firepower on the target's weak point on the left rear! The opportunity will be fleeting!"
This time, the association's channel reacted, but not in accordance with his personal instructions.
[System Command (Tactical Assessment): Based on external intelligence and real-time data scanning, intermittent fluctuations in defense are confirmed in the target's left rear flank area.]
[Related Mission Announcement (Optional): All combat units within the effective firing range and possessing long-range precision strike capabilities may, based on their own equipment characteristics and battlefield safety regulations, conduct probing fire coverage of the designated coordinate area (the third and fourth connecting points on the left rear side).]
[Mission Objective: Collect defense data for this area, and test its structural strength and counterattack patterns.]
[Execution Requirements: Assess independently, avoid friendly forces, and prevent excessive exposure. Priority: Medium.]
The order was issued, but it was nothing like the "concentrated effort, swift and decisive strike" that Steve had hoped for. It was more like an open "research mission" or "data collection initiative," completely delegating the decision-making power and risks of the attack to each eligible individual hero.
In an instant, the attacks from the association's defenses did increase, but they appeared scattered and lacked coordination and impact.
A not-so-thick beam of energy shot out from behind some cover, striking the left rear side of the Deep Sea King's armor and sending up a small cluster of sparks; several magic missiles imbued with a slowing effect drifted in from another angle, exploding in a pale purple halo around their targets; further away, even heroes skilled in throwing hurled boulders imbued with a faint vibrational energy, which struck the thick scales with a dull thud...
The attacks were varied and sporadic, causing some harassment and accumulating negligible damage, but they were far from forming the devastating combined force Steve had hoped for to shake its foundations. It was more like a group of cautious engineers probing the walls of the fortress with various tools than a desperate charge launched by warriors.
Steve's knuckles, gripping the shield, turned slightly white. He felt an unprecedented sense of alienation and powerlessness. His art of command, the tactical acumen that made him famous, seemed to have lost all its magic in the face of this cold, decentralized "system" that relied heavily on data feedback. The other side wasn't resisting orders; rather, it was operating entirely on a different logic that he couldn't comprehend.
Just then, the "Deep Sea King" seemed to be completely enraged by the persistent, mosquito-like harassment from its side and rear. It let out a deep roar, and its massive tail fin, not fully restrained by the Sandman, suddenly lashed upwards. Instead of slapping, it whipped up a huge, turbid wave mixed with seabed silt, broken concrete, and sharp metal fragments, crashing down like a tsunami onto the heroes in Sector C who were "judging" their own course of attack!
"All units in Zone C! Evade with highest priority! The wave wall carries high-energy fragments and unknown corrosive energy!" A hurried but calm warning rang out in the association's command channel.
Almost simultaneously with the warning, the heroes of Sector C sprang into action. Their reaction wasn't based on Steve's commands, but rather on the instantaneously updated threat vector on their personal terminals and the system's evasion suggestions. Speed-type heroes retreated rapidly, defensive heroes quickly sought sturdy cover or raised small shields, and support heroes erected area-of-effect deflection fields. The movements were efficient, swift, and even possessed a mechanical precision.
Although a few people were still caught in the turbulent waves and suffered minor injuries, most people successfully avoided this large-scale attack. Throughout the entire response, the association's defenses resembled a sea anemone with countless tentacles; the parts attacked quickly contracted, while the overall structure remained stable.
Steve took it all in. He watched the heroes' efficient, but ultimately unexciting, evasive maneuvers, based on data and system prompts, and observed the calmly flowing data and updated commands on the communication channel. His feelings were complex and difficult to describe.
He understands the advantages of this model—in extraordinary battles where individual abilities differ greatly and battlefield information changes rapidly, delegating some decision-making authority can indeed greatly improve survival rates and local reaction speed.
But... when faced with a catastrophic being like the "Deep Sea King" with overwhelming power, can this fragmented, "systematic" approach, lacking a unified will and unable to muster decisive strength, truly achieve victory? Or is it merely trading efficiency and sacrifice for time, until the defenses are gradually eroded and crumble?
He took a deep breath of the salty, gunpowder-smelling air, suppressing his doubts and the slight sense of frustration at being ignored. Now was not the time to dwell on the question of command.