In the arena, Hulk slammed dark-faced Thor into a wall, then spat, sneering.
"This is a god?"
After the taunt, Hulk turned to leave the arena, ready to bask in the victor's privileges.
The next moment, his gaze locked onto Charlie in the VIP box.
Instantly, Hulk's disdain morphed into rage.
"ROAR!"
He pounded his chest, the sound shaking the arena.
Amid the crowd's cheers, he pointed at Charlie.
"I know you! You beat me before!!"
His face twisted with fury, legs bending slightly.
"BOOM!!"
The ground beneath him cracked, and his body shot into the air like a cannonball, charging straight for Charlie's box.
As the green giant barreled toward him, Charlie remained calm.
Grandmaster stepped back, chuckling. "Don't wreck this place. I spent a fortune decorating."
"That's not my concern."
Charlie smirked, forming a hand sign. A clone burst from the void, meeting Hulk midair.
"Yah yah yah~ Friendly Neighborhood Scissor Kick!!"
With a shout, the clone's legs spun like a whirlwind.
A magical tornado roared to life, a massive vortex forming in the sky, blotting out the sun and swallowing the enraged Hulk in an instant.
"Rumble~"
"Crack crack crack~~"
Amid the crowd's gasps, the tornado hurled Hulk's body crashing into the arena, plowing through the earth and slamming into the wall where dark-faced Thor was lodged.
"BOOM!"
The arena wall exploded violently. A stone creature, too slow to escape, was crushed to dust, leaving only a faintly glowing diamond-like heart.
Hulk was buried in rubble, the clone dissolving into a shower of light particles.
The arena fell silent, then erupted in thunderous cheers.
"Oh my gosh, a new gladiator's entered the fray!"
"Too spicy!!"
"My God, he's my god!!"
"That red suit is so cool."
"No, it's blue."
"He looks like a bug."
"A magic bug."
"Wait, I remember now—he's Spider-Man, Earth's Spider-Man!"
"I heard about him from Skrulls who fled Earth. He's the god of mortals, the one who took down cosmic warrior Carol."
"No, I heard his girlfriend did it."
"Wrong. They ganged up on Carol together."
"Not quite. From what I know, Carol tried to take over Spider-Man's body, his girlfriend found out, and they beat her to death. A real human tragedy."
"You're all wrong. Carol got rejected and then—"
"That's even more ridiculous."
"Invincible Spider-Man, can't believe I'm seeing him here."
"He's my idol!!"
"Grandmaster actually got Spider-Man? Unbelievable."
"Spider-Man, I love you!!"
"I love you too…"
"I love Thanos! I love Thanos!!"
"F*ck you, beat him!!"
The stands erupted in chaos. Elderly Steve listened, then flashed a proud grin.
"Little Spider, we're cosmic celebrities!"
Charlie shot him a look. "Not 'we.' Me."
"What's the difference?"
"You're mooching off my fame. Have some shame."
"Haha, this old face doesn't need shame."
"B*tch."
"Cosmic b*tch, then."
"Enough already."
Charlie ignored Steve, turning to Grandmaster.
"What's the game's rules?" he asked.
Before Grandmaster could reply, elderly Steve cut in. "I heard from Thor there's no fairness on Sakaar. That true?"
Grandmaster nearly said "yes," but forced a smile.
"Of course not. That's slander, pure slander!!"
On Sakaar, his rules were the rules.
But facing Spider-Man, he couldn't call all the shots.
Fairness required equal strength.
He deemed Spider-Man worthy.
Of course, some technical adjustments were still necessary.
He snapped his fingers, and the arena trembled violently.
"Rumble rumble~~"
As the ground shook, the brutal battleground sank, replaced by dazzling glass racetracks.
The smooth tracks, inspired by some game, twisted with obstacles blocking the racers' paths, and unknown dangers awaited the bold.
The track stretched infinitely, the finish line nowhere in sight.
Everything was uncertain.
Charlie raised an eyebrow.
"Just a race?" he asked.
Grandmaster spread his hands, smiling. "Yes, three rounds, first to two wins. Earth rules."
Elderly Steve's face darkened.
"Damn it, he knows we can't afford a racecar. He's doing this on purpose," he whispered to Charlie.
Charlie: "..."
"Don't worry, I'll provide racecars," Grandmaster said, still smiling.
"No need."
Charlie waved him off. "We'll handle it ourselves." He rejected the "kind" offer.
"But I need a helper. You'll have to fetch our friend," he added.
Grandmaster nodded, smiling. "Of course. Who do you want? I'll bring them here."
"Tony Stark. Oh, and Johnny Blaze."
At those names, Grandmaster paused.
Getting Iron Man here was no issue, but Johnny Blaze… He was Mephisto's agent. Whether Mephisto would agree was uncertain, but he'd try.
Sensing Grandmaster's hesitation, Charlie spoke. "Don't worry. Just say you're taking me down, and that old devil will agree."
Grandmaster: "..."
This guy's fearless, picking a fight with Mephisto.
Well, he is fearless.
"No problem. I'll arrange it. You can familiarize yourself with the track."
Grandmaster gave Charlie due respect.
Charlie didn't waste time.
He tapped a virtual computer, designing his ideal racecar.
Deciding Sakaar's and his own future with a game was absurd.
But Sakaar's warped space limited his spatial magic and time powers, so he had to play along.
Plus, he couldn't read Grandmaster. Testing him this way wasn't a bad idea.
Of course, a straightforward brawl was another option.
Elsewhere, he'd probably just roll up his sleeves and fight.
But as a cosmic celebrity, getting taken out by a miscalculation would be humiliating.
This wasn't Earth, where he controlled the narrative.
In short: head can break, blood can flow, but the idol image must stay.
With that in mind, Charlie's thoughts raced.
Grandmaster wouldn't play fair.
Good thing Charlie wouldn't either.
Soon, Grandmaster brought Tony and Johnny to Sakaar.
"Charlie, heard you're stuck here," Tony said, grinning smugly.
Charlie rolled his eyes. "Congrats, now you're stuck too."
Tony shrugged. "I'm here to help. When it comes to racing, no one's better."
"Don't forget me."
Johnny puffed out his chest, then leaned close to Charlie.
"That guy told me to be a mole and sabotage you when the time comes."
Charlie grinned. "So, what's your plan?"
Johnny thought for a moment, eyes lighting up.
"Got it! I'll burn your car with hellfire!"
Charlie's eyes gleamed. "Great idea. You're a genius."
"Of course. Get ready for your blazing chariot!"
"That's why I called you here."
"Make sure to pay me. My appearance fee's steep."
"I know. You'll do any trash film for cash since you're drowning in debt."
Johnny scratched his head. "That's about me?"
"Kinda!"
With that, Charlie led Tony to the prepared mechanical bay.
He tapped the virtual computer, and the design appeared before Tony.
Seeing the outdated car design, Tony's face darkened.
"You're racing with this aerodynamically hopeless shell?"
Charlie, dead serious, said, "What's wrong with it?"
"Big problems."
Tony pointed at the pop-up headlights. "This design's obsolete. In high-stakes races, any air resistance can cost you the win."
Then he jabbed at the black hood. "Why black? It clashes with the white body.
And the rear—ugly. I suggest a spoiler… No, no, a spoiler on this body would be hideous and still not aerodynamic.
Forget it, I'll design it myself—"
Tony ranted, but Charlie firmly refused.
"Nope!"
Charlie crossed his arms. "Forget your trash aerodynamics. I believe in raw power. Slap on the strongest nuclear engine, build the toughest body, and leave the rest to me."
Tony gritted his teeth. "You want me to build this junk? I'm saying no too."
Charlie smirked wickedly.
"Know why I called you here?"
"Why?"
"I found out Pepper's pregnant."
Before Tony could get excited, Charlie continued, "If you don't help me, Pepper might not wait. She'll take your fortune, marry another guy, live in your mansion, sleep with your girlfriend, and beat your kid."
"What?!"
Tony's face twisted in horror, then he glared at Charlie.
"That's a vicious curse."
"It might be reality."
"Fine. To keep some guy from taking my mansion and beating my kid, I'll help."
"Go for it!"
"Yeah, yeah."
The mechanical bay echoed with ding ding clang clang as metal was hammered.
With high-tech assistance, Tony finished Charlie's racecar by the next day.
"Vroom~"
The engine roared, and a black-and-white "classic car" rolled out.
The onlookers had mixed reactions.
Grandmaster's eyes gleamed with amusement.
As expected of the invincible Spider-Man, treating this like a game.
So arrogant. He's doomed.
Elderly Steve circled the car, rubbing his temples helplessly.
"Little Spider, you're gonna lose," he said, pointing at the tofu shop logo on the car.
"Really?"
Charlie opened the door, stepping out in a white tee and jeans, radiating youthful vibes.
He'd even styled his hair in a retro 3:7 part.
"Wait till you see the skills of the Autumn Mountain Car God," Charlie said, patting the hood with a grin.
He slid into the driver's seat, calling to a baffled Johnny Blaze. "Hop in, my co-driver. Got the roadbook memorized?"
"Roadbook?"
Johnny's face darkened. "What's this nonsense? This is a no-rules race, not a rally. Get it straight."
"Oh, is it?"
Charlie looked disappointed. "I thought I could be Bayinbulak's eternal king."
"Stop with the obscure references!!"
Elderly Steve lost it. "You better cheat later, got it?"
Grandmaster: "???"
Saying it out loud? Shameless much?
To crush Charlie's confidence, Grandmaster revealed his own racecar.
"BOOM!!"
The ground sank, and a ten-meter-tall armored tank appeared.
"Vrrr~"
The cockpit glowed, and Grandmaster materialized inside via a beam.
"Vrrr~"
"Rumble~~"
With an earthquake-like roar, the massive vehicle trembled, spewing flames, its spinning wheels exuding unstoppable pressure.
Charlie glanced at Tony.
"See? No one cares about aerodynamics here. Like me, they believe in raw power!"
Tony froze.
Speechless, exasperated, unable to face it, utterly lawless!
"Fine, I admit I was a bit loud yesterday," Tony muttered, stepping back.
Other racers rolled in.
"This time, I'm winning!!"
A lightning-wreathed warcar entered, dark-faced Thor's eyes resolute.
Under his control, a massive hammer rose from the car's roof.
"Block me, and I'll pound you!!" he began his trash-talk.
"Click click~"
Nearby, Hulk carried his warcar to the starting line.
He flashed dark-faced Thor a "friendly" grin.
"If I catch you, I'll hehehe you."
Hulk's smile made Thor shudder.
Another car, steeped in Asgardian flair, pulled up.
In the cockpit, Valkyrie's lips curved. "Let's see if you're worthy of being Asgard's future king."
She glanced at Thor's car, then at the smallest, plainest black-and-white racecar.
Through the window, she saw Charlie, one hand on the door, the other on the wheel, yawning and casually asking elderly Steve for a drink, placing it in the cupholder by the handbrake.
Wait—handbrake?!
Who uses a mechanical handbrake these days?!
Valkyrie's pupils shrank, her face grave.
Having lived on Sakaar for years, she'd heard of Earth's invincible Spider-Man from offworld reports.
Even Thor and Hulk were no match for him, a testament to his strength.
But this was racing, not fighting.
Valkyrie eased her nerves, her confident smile returning.
Racing was like riding a horse.
She'd ridden pegasi before; now she drove racecars.
Both were about ultimate speed and unstoppable charges.
No one could beat her at this.
Nearby, a low-key compact warcar rolled to the starting line.
In the cockpit, a green-skinned woman tapped her earpiece.
"Thanos, I'll win."
Outside Sakaar, a massive spaceship blended into the stars.
In the command room, purple-skinned Thanos stared blankly. "I spent so many resources getting you into Sakaar. Don't disappoint me."
His tone was calm, but Gamora shivered.
"I understand. I'll record all of Spider-Man's data."
"Good."
Thanos locked onto Charlie's profile on the screen, memories of "Thanos" dying at Spider-Man's hands flashing through his mind.
That was Thanos, but not him.
Another universe's him.
So Spider-Man was destined to be his enemy.
A mocking smirk curled his lips.
"Cute little bug, don't mistake me for that other universe's loser. Meeting me… is your doom!"
A murmur, thick with killing intent, spread. Ebony Maw and the others behind him bowed,不敢直视 the cosmic overlord's back.
…
Meanwhile, on Sakaar's racetrack.
"BOOM!!"
With a roar from Grandmaster's armored tank, a gunshot rang out, and the racecars kicked up a storm of dust, speeding onto the track.
"That b*tch cheated! He jumped the start!!" elderly Steve yelled, cursing at Grandmaster's headstart.
Tony patted his shoulder. "Calm down. Charlie jumped too."
Elderly Steve: "..."
Watching the black-and-white car tailing Grandmaster, Steve lowered his head.
"Actually, it's a no-rules race. Jumping's normal."
"No principles at all."
In the cockpit, Charlie steered with one hand, joking, then watched as a warcar sped past him.
"Jumped the start and still useless? Tony, is your car any good?" he asked.
Tony's face darkened. "You gotta release the handbrake first."
"Oh, really? My bad."
Charlie grinned, releasing the handbrake. The black-and-white car surged past the lightning warcar.
"Pass me, and I'll pound you!!"
Seeing someone overtake him, dark-faced Thor hit a button. The roof hammer swung toward the car ahead.
"Wow, Hammer God's here."
Charlie chuckled, slamming a button.
Nitro boost!
"BOOM!!"
The black-and-white car vanished like a phantom, replaced by Hulk's green warcar.
"Even if it's Hulk, I'll pound you!!"
"Hehehe, catch me, and I'll let you hehehe."
Hulk grinned, and as the hammer descended, he kicked through the car's floor, accelerating with bare feet.
"BOOM!!"
The green warcar dodged the hammer, and dark-faced Thor's face darkened further.
"Damn it, this isn't racing!!"
As he cursed, Hulk leaped ahead.
Clutching his warcar, Hulk roared, "Green Hulk Crow on a Plane!!"
"What?!"
A shadow loomed, and dark-faced Thor's face filled with terror.
"Don't come near me!!"
"BOOM!!"
A crash echoed from behind, and a smoking wheel careened past Charlie.
"Whoa, whose car is that? Pretty unique."
Charlie kept smiling, extending a hand out the window. A web shot out, melting the wheel with heat. Grandmaster's tank deployed a plasma shield, narrowly escaping.
Then Grandmaster counterattacked.
"Bang bang bang!!"
Cannons emerged from the tank, blasting indiscriminate energy beams, obliterating the track behind.
"Rumble~"
Amid the fiery chaos, the black-and-white car burst through like a phoenix, diving into a magic portal.
"What?"
Grandmaster's face changed, yanking a lever.
"Vrrr~"
Space warped, ejecting the black-and-white car, but it overtook Grandmaster's tank.
Midair, as the cockpits aligned, Charlie locked eyes with Grandmaster.
"Not bad, eh?"
Charlie waved, and the black-and-white car shot into the underwater tunnel ahead.
"You can't win!"
Grandmaster gunned it, chasing.
"BOOM!!"
In the massive tunnel, engines roared.
No matter how the tank rammed, it couldn't fully overtake Charlie's 86.
In the cockpit, Charlie leaned on the window with one hand.
"Dear Grandmaster, your tank's got power, but the front's too heavy. In a tunnel with tight turns, you keep understeering—especially in those five hairpin bends. You can't nail the line. Unless you fix that, you can't beat my AE86."
Charlie's taunt crackled through the comms, and Grandmaster gritted his teeth.
"You know what you're talking about?"
He roared, hitting a button.
The tank ignored the tunnel's dangers, crashing through the ceiling.
"BOOM!!"
Seawater flooded in, and Grandmaster's tank switched to submarine mode, cruising freely.
In the collapsing tunnel, waves surged.
Charlie ignored the tidal wave behind.
As the tank loomed overhead, Charlie didn't hesitate.
"Here comes the wrath of the Autumn Mountain Car God!"
"BOOM!!"
Hellfire ignited on the car, growing fiercer, engulfing the entire body.
"Vroom~"
"ROAR~"
Like a demon's wail or whisper.
The blazing chariot ignored the tunnel walls, smashing through them, evaporating seawater, and bursting out of the track, crashing into a rainforest-themed section.
"Damn it, T-Rex, eat him!"
Grandmaster roared. The jungle shook, and a massive red-and-blue T-Rex stomped onto the track, roaring with its gaping maw.
Charlie was surprised.
This guy… was an old friend.
Not friend—dino.
"Hey, Peter, how's business?"
Charlie leaned out the window, waving at T-Rex Peter.
"ROAR~~~ Uh, it's you?"
Recognizing Charlie, T-Rex Peter coughed awkwardly, stepping aside.
"Business sucks, so I got lured here by a side gig. Didn't expect to see you. Get me out when you're done."
"No problem, Driver Peter."
With T-Rex Peter's farewell, Charlie entered the swamp zone.
Grandmaster, trailing behind, felt the sky collapse.
"You bastard, you're my employee! How dare you help someone else!!"
"Sorry, I'm a dragon. Deaf. Didn't hear you."
"Sh*t!!"
No time to scold T-Rex Peter, Grandmaster floored it.
"Loki, stop him!!" he shouted.
This time, it couldn't be another acquaintance, right?
But…
In the endless swamp, a Godzilla-sized crocodile churned the wetlands, its massive maw gaping.
Before it could attack, Charlie leaned out again.
"I'll pay the toll later, thanks."
"You?"
Recognizing Charlie's familiar face, the crocodile's pupils shrank, its body collapsing into green mist.
Loki, in a tuxedo, politely stepped aside.
Charlie didn't recognize which Loki this was.
Definitely not Crocodile Loki—that guy was still waiting for a retry in the Resurrection Match!
The crocodile was just a magical illusion.
With a flick of the wheel, Charlie's car climbed a towering tree.
The track announcer screamed in excitement.
"The 86's climbing a tree! AE86's climbing a tree!!"