Time stood still.
At least, that's how William felt.
The World had become a bizarre silent film.
Elektra.
The woman who, just a moment ago, was like the embodiment of destruction.
The client he had assessed as an "extremely unstable risk source".
Now, she was embracing the enemy who had impaled her.
And kissed him.
Under everyone's gaze.
Under Iron Man's energy cannon.
In front of William's "foolproof plan," which was already at full power.
William's brain crashed for half a second.
What the hell kind of worst melodramatic eight o'clock drama of the year was this?
A lovers' suicide pact?
Using her life to awaken her beloved?
Please, this is New York, not Verona. You're Super Heroes and Super Assassins, not Romeo and Juliet.
More importantly... both of you are my clients!
"contract! Immediately assess Elektra's vital signs!"
"Warning, target's life signal is rapidly declining at a non-linear rate. A penetrating abdominal wound is causing massive hemorrhage, and an unknown dark energy is detected flowing from her body into target 'Matt Murdock'."
"Estimated remaining life: forty-five seconds."
"Damn it!"
William's heart roared.
This isn't saving someone; this is a suicide attack!
She isn't awakening Matt; she's using her own life to detonate the bomb inside Matt!
"Tony! She's injecting the power of the black sky!" William growled into the comm channel.
"What?" Tony was also stunned. "What does she want to do? A mutual destruction?"
"No, worse than that!"
In William's Tactical Vision, the energy flow of the two embracing bodies had completely spiraled out of control.
The black energy within Elektra's body, like a breached flood, surged madly into Matt's body.
It wasn't fusion.
It was pollution! It was collision!
The Beast power within Matt's body, originally stable and powerful, began to violently riot under the impact of the black sky's energy – a power of the same origin but more chaotic and primitive destruction.
It was like pouring a ladle of cold Water into a pot of boiling oil.
Matt Murdock's body trembled violently.
His face, which was always calm and unruffled, showed cracks for the first time.
That was... pain.
He tried to push Elektra away.
But Elektra's arms, like iron bands, held him tightly, letting more blood flow from her abdominal wound due to the pressure.
Her kiss was domineering and desperate.
She poured all her memories, all her love and hate, all her unwillingness and sorrow, along with the destructive will of the black sky, into the depths of Matt's soul.
"Matt... look at me..."
Elektra's voice, as faint as a candle in the wind, yet clear in Matt's mind.
"Look at us..."
"The days we trained together..."
"The rooftop where we first kissed..."
"Everything we... once had..."
"Boom—!"
In Matt's mind, the images he had forcibly suppressed and sealed with the cold logic of "new order" were completely washed away by this chaotic torrent.
No longer data, no longer files.
But real memories, with warmth, with scent, with touch.
He saw Elektra's smile.
He saw the cunning and love in her eyes.
He saw their figures fighting side by side in the night.
These were the "weaknesses" he had decided to abandon.
These were the "chaos" that should not exist in his new order.
"No..."
A suppressed roar, as if from the depths of his soul, squeezed out of Matt's throat.
Under his black battle suit, his muscles uncontrollably flexed and trembled.
A more massive, more evil, more violent aura than before erupted from his body!
"Get out of my head!"
He suddenly pushed Elektra away!
Elektra fell softly to the ground like a withered leaf, and the sai in her abdomen came out with a spray of blood.
On her face, that tragically beautiful smile still lingered.
Mission... accomplished.
Matt, however, clutched his head, kneeling on one knee, his body convulsing violently.
His "World," that perfect World composed of sounds, smells, and vibrations, had now become a noisy, chaotic hell full of screams and cries.
Countless voices echoed in his mind.
Elektra.
Elektra!
"Ah ah ah ah ah ah ah—!"
He let out an inhuman roar, looking up at the sky.
Visible black energy waves, centered on him, spread out with a roar!
The ground in front of the church cracked inch by inch!
Opportunity!
In William's eyes, there was no trace of sympathy or hesitation.
Only cold data and a fleeting window of opportunity.
Now!
He didn't choose to rush up and deliver another punch.
The risk of doing so was too great.
An out-of-control martial arts grandmaster, who knew how terrifying his dying counterattack would be.
William's choice was always the option with the lowest risk and highest reward.
Control!
"foolproof plan"!
The armor on his left arm silently slid open, and the miniature winch instantly activated.
"Whoosh—!"
Four nano-cables, shimmering with metallic luster, like predatory vipers, shot out from four different angles with a whooshing sound, precisely targeting the black figure kneeling on the ground, on the verge of mental collapse.
Matt's perception was still there.
He felt threats from four directions.
He wanted to dodge.
But under the dual impact of mental and energy surges, his body, for the first time, couldn't keep up with his reactions.
"Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish!"
Four soft sounds.
The nano-cables precisely wrapped around his arms and legs.
"Reel in!"
William let out a low shout, and the bio-electric resonance system on his left arm went to full power!
The cables tightened abruptly, and the immense pulling force instantly bound Matt's limbs tightly together, fixing him firmly in place in a humiliating posture.
He struggled madly, like a Beast caught in a snare.
Every muscle erupted with terrifying strength.
The nano-cables were stretched taut, making groaning sounds under the strain.
"Warning, cable tension has reached eighty-seven percent, approaching critical value!"
contract's alarm sounded in William's mind.
"Hold on!"
William braced his legs on the ground, Superhuman Strength infused his entire body, holding tight to the other end of the cables.
He could feel a tremendous force, almost enough to pull his entire body off the ground, coming from the cables.
This guy's strength was still increasing!
"Tony!" William roared through gritted teeth, "Sedative! Maximum dose!"
"On my way!"
Iron Man descended from the sky, the armor on his right arm already deformed, revealing a special injection device.
Just as the needle was about to pierce Matt's neck.
Matt's struggle suddenly stopped.
He stopped roaring, stopped hissing.
He just knelt there, head down, motionless.
As if all his strength had been drained in an instant.
Dead silence.
Tony's movement paused in mid-air.
William also froze.
What's happening?
Energy depleted? Or... completely mentally broken?
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