After the two dark, sinister shadows entered Hellfire's body, its massive form expanded once more, towering at an imposing five meters. Black and green flames erupted violently, incinerating the surrounding flower fields into ashes and nothingness.
These shadows were the evil spirits of Wrath and Pride. Although the Card Holders had perished, these spirits belonged to an undying, other-dimensional lifeform. Without a powerful seal, they could never be truly destroyed.
With the infusion of these two malevolent spirits, Hellfire not only grew larger, but its green flames turned black, and its aura deepened into something even darker and more sinister.
Hellfire was an evil lifeform— an Abomination— transformed by the Eternal Fire into a new kind of being. It existed in a realm between good and evil, embodying a chaotic-neutral nature. However, after absorbing the two evil spirits, it became a pure embodiment of malevolence.
"Roar!"
The Venom Knight snapped back to focus on Hellfire. With a surge of strength, it shattered the chains that bound it. Pushing off the ground, its small red form vanished from its original position, leaving behind a rush of white air.
Ahead, the air cracked, and a dust storm swirled as the Venom Knight shot forward like a human missile, its head colliding with Hellfire's wicked chest.
Boom!!!
The impact was so powerful that it shattered the very fabric of space. Hellfire was sent hurtling backward, its legs carving deep gouges into the ground, leaving a path that stretched across the entire fountain garden.
Yet, Hellfire remained standing, coldly regarding the Venom Knight, its black flames burning fiercely. The intense heat evaporated the water in the fountain, causing statues and stone slabs to begin melting into magma.
The Venom Knight stood at one end of the fountain park, while Hellfire loomed at the other. They faced each other, their confrontation charged with an evil power and violent fury, threatening to obliterate the garden around them.
"God, have mercy on me. Is this still a competition, or is it a death match?!"
The enlarged Antman and the onlookers outside the arena were left speechless, gripped by terror. They held their breath, uncertain of how this would unfold.
At that moment, both the Venom Knight and the evil Hellfire posed a threat greater than the Hulk. These were world-ending beings, and the sight of them clashing was something no one could comprehend!
If only they knew that both entities were deeply connected to Kyle, they might have been even more bewildered.
It felt as if the very virtual map space was trembling from the clash between the Venom Knight and Hellfire. The sky and ground at the edge of the garden began to slowly collapse.
As the Venom Knight and Hellfire prepared to engage in battle, everything around them suddenly froze. The Venom Knight, Hellfire, the enlarged Antman, and the bodies of Eddie and others vanished from the battle map.
Above the collapsing map, the countdown timer hit 00:00:00—
Unbeknownst to everyone, the ten-minute limit had quietly passed.
Though the participants and viewers couldn't determine whether the Venom Knight or Hellfire was stronger, they all sighed in relief, their hearts barely able to handle the tension.
Was Earth's greatest enemy truly from outer space? Not from within?
The fourth round of the competition concluded.
The Red team had only Hellfire left, while the Blue team still had Deadpool and Antman. Thus, victory went to the team of Deadpool, Antman, and Agent Venom.
With three white lights appearing in the arena, the Venom agent, now in his human form— Eddie— along with Deadpool and Antman, returned to the battlefield.
Eddie looked around in confusion. Spotting Deadpool and Antman, he sighed, "I didn't expect we'd make it to the end."
"Don't remind me, I was scared out of my mind just now," Antman said, patting his chest. He turned to Deadpool and asked, "Deadpool, what happened to you back there?"
Deadpool let out a wry laugh, shaking his head. "Don't ask, I'm not sure either. I thought I was done for, but then... something seemed to attach itself to me."
"I know some things, but I can't tell you the details," Eddie said, furrowing his brow. He tried to reach out to Venom with his mind, but there was no response as if Venom didn't want to discuss what had just happened.
While Eddie and the others were still talking, a white light appeared on the battlefield. Hellfire, wielding a broken axe, returned to the arena alone.
"Hmm? Didn't they get eliminated as a team?" Antman instinctively shrank his neck at the sight of Hellfire. After that last battle, he was likely to carry a psychological scar from the encounter for the rest of his life.
If he faced Hellfire again, he might as well forfeit.
The other contestants were equally perplexed. At that moment, the God system provided an explanation: "Due to two members of the winning team in the third group match forfeiting, Hellfire, who performed exceptionally well in the fourth match, has been granted a promotion."
A wave of surprise rippled through the audience, and most contestants felt a chill run down their spines. However, Hellfire's strength was undeniable, and it certainly deserved the chance to continue in the competition.
Deadpool blinked in astonishment. "Wait, if Hellfire got a promotion, isn't there still another vacant spot?"
As if confirming Deadpool's words, the God system continued: "The second vacant promotion spot will be filled by the contestant entering the arena next..."
Under the watchful eyes of the contestants and audience, a white light appeared in the arena. As the light faded, a young man with silver hair and golden eyes emerged. Time seemed to have left no trace on him. His every movement exuded elegance and charm.
He appeared to be an ordinary young man.
But everyone on the battlefield knew him— no, in fact, everyone on Earth knew him. This was the person who had founded the entire superpower competitin.
"That's right, it's me."
Facing the contestants, Kyle winked and shrugged. "Seeing how excited you all are, I thought I'd give it a go myself. Might as well go on now."
Kyle was speaking the truth. After witnessing the clash between the Venom Knight and Hellfire, his desire for combat had been ignited.
Since he had planned to join the match anyway, there was no harm in entering early.
"Of course. I know there are still a few contestant teams left. To speed up the tournament, here's the deal."
Kyle pointed to himself casually. "I'll face the remaining teams. If anyone can land a hit on me or last for thirty seconds, they will earn a spot in the third round of the competition."
At this rate, the tournament might conclude in just two or three days...
No more pretending, Kyle was here to stir things up. By eliminating the remaining contestants, he was effectively accelerating the competition.
As soon as Kyle finished speaking, the audience fell silent for a moment before erupting into wild cheers.
It was said that the Symbol of Peace was the strongest on Earth, but that had always been a legend passed down since World War II. Most people didn't know the true power of the Symbol of Peace.
But today, everything would be revealed.
(End of this chapter)
I have finished translating this fanfic, IMUC (I Am In Marvel With Unlimited Cards) and have posted all the advanced chapters on Patreon (Last Chapter -- 706). (https://www.patreon.com/c/marvel6395). You can read all the advanced chapters there.