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[You have been eliminated. No revival slot obtained. Reward: Strength +0.1 tons.]
[3 restart attempts remaining. Restart?]
A massive web stretched overhead as Julian scratched his head. Gwen's death this time felt… way too sudden.
But thinking about it again, it made sense. The fight out there was insane. With explosions going off nonstop, a normal person getting hit by even one shard of debris wouldn't stand a chance.
Even he'd died in a chaotic mess like that.
But this round, they were so close.
Alright. Again!
The eighth revival round. Julian rushed to the clock tower and immediately ran into Lizard-Parker.
Two figures leapt up the tower one after the other, the path behind them a trail of destruction.
"I'm going to tear you apart."
"Easy there, lizard hottie. We're here to save Gwen."
"I'll save her myself. You fake, stay out of it."
BOOM!
A thunderous crash. Lizard-Parker tackled Julian, pinning him to the ground with a vicious grin.
"Rip you to pieces."
"Knew it. You're just a monster."
Julian's words made Lizard-Parker freeze.
"…What did you say?" His voice twisted into a furious roar.
Julian smiled slightly. "I said she's about to die."
He turned his head just in time to dodge a giant falling gear, completely calm.
His spider-sense still wasn't reliable—dodging that gear was pure experience gathered from restarting again and again.
Seeing Lizard-Parker getting more agitated, Julian pointed out the window. "Two seconds from now, she'll appear right there."
"What?"
Lizard-Parker hesitated. And right as Julian held up two fingers, Gwen's figure flashed past the broken window.
"Gwen!"
Lizard-Parker didn't think twice. He dove straight through the glass and lunged after her.
Julian got up, dusted off his hands, and looked around the chaotic clock tower. He didn't join the fight at all.
[You have been eliminated. No revival slot obtained. Reward: Strength +0.1 tons.]
[2 restart attempts remaining. Restart?]
Restart!
The ninth revival round. Julian once again didn't get involved in Gwen's rescue. Instead, using pure "prediction," he dodged the rain of energy blasts and swung his way to the top.
Without his restart experience, he'd never be able to pull this off.
"Mr. Stark!"
Calling out made Tony freeze mid-flight.
"Peter…?"
Scanning between the two Spider-Men on the field, Tony's expression turned complicated.
Only this Spider-Man knew his name.
Julian zipped inside the tower before Tony could say anything.
Coming back to his senses, Tony blasted the remaining Chitauri with max power, then rocketed toward the tower without looking back.
BOOM…
Inside, explosions kept shaking the entire structure. Gears shot everywhere like bullets.
On top of one massive gear, Tony spotted one of the Spider-Men.
Among the shower of debris, Julian whistled a cheerful tune, slipping through gaps, dodging every flying gear like it was nothing. He practically strolled through the battlefield.
"Gaaaah—Peter!"
Right then, Harry—on his glider—dove from above… and slammed straight into the web trap Julian had prepared in advance.
"Shi—!"
CRASH—
Harry bounced wildly between beams and rubble. Meanwhile, the real Peter Parker and Lizard-Parker both pounced toward Gwen, only to watch helplessly as she was snagged by a webline and pulled straight into Julian's arms.
It looked like a choreographed routine. Everything had fallen exactly into his hands.
After so many restarts, Julian had finally found the true way to "cheat."
"What…?"
Peter stared at the other Spider-Man, completely shaken.
That spider-sense was unreal.
In such a crazy environment, this guy still predicted every incoming gear.
Who the hell was he?
Lizard-Parker didn't care about any of that—he was getting even more out of control.
"Damn fake! You're not taking Gwen!"
He tore through rubble like a beast, gears slicing his skin until it was covered in blood—but nothing slowed him down.
Wind roared behind Julian, but he didn't even flinch. He kept swinging downward with Gwen.
He had a "helper," after all.
BOOM!!
Just as Lizard-Parker was about to tear Julian apart, a pulse of electric energy crashed from above, blasting him deep into the ruins.
"Gross lizard. Stay away from him!" Tony snapped.
"Damn you, Iron Man!!"
Lizard-Parker clawed his way back up, still chasing. Tony tried to stop him, but more Chitauri swarmed him.
"Give her to me!!"
Gears fell like rain as the rampaging monster tore through the tower.
Peter dove down too, trying to stop him—but Harry crashed into him midair.
"Your opponent is me!" Harry cackled, his rotten teeth showing. His family's genetic disease had completely broken him.
He hated himself, hated his father, hated Peter, hated the world, hated anything good.
"Let's all die together!!"
"Harry, stop!"
Spider-Man and the Green Goblin clashed in a violent spiral downward. Lizard-Parker dropped after Julian, claw outstretched.
So close. Just a bit more and he'd rip them apart.
A gear occasionally sliced Julian's suit, and the smell of blood pushed Lizard-Parker even deeper into madness.
"Peter!!"
Suddenly, Gwen's cry cut through everything—like a stream of cool water pouring into the desert of Lizard-Parker's mind, instantly calming his rage and bloodlust.
"Gwen…"
His pupils constricted as he stared at Gwen in Julian's arms. Her face was full of panic and worry.
He had never seen her this helpless.
To him, Gwen was Spider-Woman—a hero. Someone who always stayed calm, who could protect everyone, who could beat any threat.
But…
Lizard-Parker snapped back to himself. His twisted expression softened.
He knew Gwen wasn't worried about him, but he still made his choice.
"You're not her…" he whispered—like a farewell.
In his eyes, Gwen's face blurred.
But he saw it clearly.
She was Gwen… not Spider-Woman.
"Fake… you win!!"
His roar split the air. Lizard-Parker shoved Julian and Gwen away with all his strength—
—and the massive gear above came crashing down.
RUMBLE—
The gear smashed into the ruins, swallowing his figure completely.
Dust filled the air. Julian swung down to the ground with Gwen. She stared at the ruins, her face filled with a complicated sadness.
"…He saved us."
Julian exhaled. "Yeah. He'd always save you." He sounded absolutely certain.
After so many restarts, he knew Lizard-Parker genuinely wanted Gwen to live. It had nothing to do with the revival round.
But hearing a voice she didn't recognize—
Gwen finally realized something was very wrong.
"....."