"The Shadow Legion… not bad. At least they can handle the dirty work."
Liam gave the reward a brief glance before mentally filing it away. It wasn't anything game-changing on its own, but utility mattered, and disposable manpower always had its place. Having an army that could operate in the dark, follow orders without hesitation, and never question him was more valuable than it looked at first glance.
As for the Hundred Healings Technique, that one carried more weight.
It was an ability born from raw talent, something Tsunade had developed through precise control and overwhelming physical power. With it, a pair of fists could shatter defenses, crush opponents, and bulldoze through almost anything that stood in the way.
Simple.
Direct.
Brutal.
Exactly the kind of enhancement Liam appreciated.
But those weren't the real highlight.
Kurama.
That reward alone made everything else look secondary.
"Now that… is a jackpot," Liam muttered to himself, unable to suppress the flicker of excitement in his eyes.
An adorable pet you could cuddle, but also one of the most destructive forces in existence. The Nine-Tails wasn't just powerful—it was practically a walking nuclear arsenal wrapped in fur and attitude.
In its original world, Kurama stood just below the Ten-Tails, its chakra reserves bordering on endless. It could level mountains with a single blast, reshape landscapes through sheer force, and evolve alongside its host into increasingly terrifying forms.
Half-tailed transformation.
Full tailed beast transformation.
Nine-Tails Chakra Mode.
Kurama Mode.
Sage-enhanced variants.
Even Six Paths-level evolution.
Naruto had only inherited the bloodline of Asura, yet still managed to push that power to ridiculous heights.
But Liam?
He wasn't operating on that level.
He had something far beyond it.
The Divine Tree bloodline.
If everything he had gained before laid the foundation, then Kurama was the accelerator strapped onto an already unstable engine. It didn't just increase his power—it compressed the time needed to reach absurd levels.
Before being sealed, Kurama had accumulated power over centuries. That energy hadn't disappeared. It was all still there, waiting to be used.
"Doesn't that basically turn me into a mobile artillery platform?" Liam thought, the corners of his mouth curling upward.
High output.
Massive reserves.
Ridiculous durability.
Add in Kurama's regenerative abilities, and the result was obvious.
He was becoming a nightmare.
—
Peter, standing nearby, didn't dare interrupt.
After expressing his thanks, he fell silent, watching carefully, weighing every movement, every expression. The casual dominance this man displayed had completely reshaped his understanding of power.
Hulk.
That monster had been something even Peter didn't want to face head-on anymore.
And yet—
This man had crushed him effortlessly.
That wasn't just strength.
That was control.
"Sir…" Peter said cautiously, lowering his tone in a way he never would have before. "May I ask your name?"
Liam looked up at him.
"Holly Lord."
As the words left his mouth, the long robe and hood vanished, dissolving into nothingness. What replaced it was something far more unsettling—a face with blue skin, sharp fangs, and an unmistakably demonic presence.
It wasn't human.
Not even close.
Then—
He snapped his fingers.
"Whoosh!!!"
From every corner of the surrounding buildings, shadows began to move. Figures emerged one after another, silent and precise, surrounding them completely in an instant.
They appeared like a tide.
A black tide.
Peter's pupils shrank slightly as he took in the scene. His instincts told him something was wrong, but it took a second to pinpoint exactly what it was.
They weren't breathing.
Not a single one of them.
At first glance, they looked like ordinary ninjas, their gear and posture matching what you would expect. But the longer he looked, the more unsettling it became.
Gray-blue skin.
Blood-red eyes.
No life behind them.
They didn't feel like living beings.
They felt like corpses that had been dragged out of the grave and forced to move again.
The Shadow Ninja.
Individually, they weren't a serious threat to someone at Peter's level. Their strength, while impressive, wasn't enough to overpower top-tier fighters.
But that wasn't the point.
There weren't just a few.
There were hundreds.
Possibly thousands.
And when numbers reached that level, it stopped being about individual strength.
It became overwhelming force.
Even Peter felt a chill run down his spine as he imagined what it would look like if that entire army moved at once.
His posture lowered instinctively, his tone becoming even more respectful.
—
On the ground below, things were stabilizing.
Captain Steve was the first to reach Banner after his fall, grabbing his arm and helping him up. Despite everything, his concern remained genuine.
"Banner, are you alright?" he asked, scanning him quickly for injuries.
But Banner didn't respond immediately.
His gaze was distant, unfocused, as if his mind was somewhere else entirely.
That man…
He wasn't lying.
The Hulk was gone.
Not suppressed.
Not controlled.
Sealed.
A flicker of excitement passed through Banner's eyes, something completely at odds with the situation. For the first time in a long time, he felt… light.
Free.
Tony stepped closer, frowning slightly as he watched the exchange.
"Banner, what happened up there?" he asked. "That giant hand just vanished. You see anything?"
"I… I don't know…" Banner replied, avoiding eye contact as he glanced around.
The hesitation was subtle, but it was there.
Hawkeye noticed it immediately and stepped in without missing a beat.
"Hey, give him a break," he said casually. "Guy just went through hell and back. Not everyone handles this stuff like you do, Tony."
The tension eased slightly.
Everyone accepted the explanation without digging deeper. After all, Banner had never been the most socially confident person, and his behavior didn't seem out of character.
But inside—
Banner exhaled slowly, relief mixing with something else.
Guilt.
From the moment he agreed to the deal, the outcome had been set in stone. His connection to the Avengers, to S.H.I.E.L.D.—it was already broken.
Fury had brought him in for one reason.
Hulk.
Without that…
He had no place here.
"I need to figure out how to get out," Banner thought, his expression tightening slightly. "Before they realize."
—
High above the city, on the rooftops between towering buildings—
A figure landed silently.
Master Splinter.
His staff tapped lightly against the surface as he straightened, his sharp gaze sweeping across the area. What he saw confirmed everything.
An army.
A dense formation of shadow-clad figures, perfectly organized, radiating a cold, lifeless aura.
Recognition came instantly.
This was the source.
The one they had been searching for.
Leonardo landed next, his movements precise, his expression focused. But the moment his eyes locked onto Liam's figure, something shifted.
There was a presence there.
Something overwhelming.
Raphael dropped down shortly after, rolling once before coming to his feet. His eyes widened as he took in the scene.
"Okay… that's insane," he muttered. "That's a lot of ninjas."
Michelangelo, however, didn't share the same casual reaction.
His body tensed immediately, every instinct screaming danger as he scanned the army in front of them.
"If they all rush us…" he muttered under his breath, trailing off before finishing the thought.
They wouldn't survive.
And then—
He saw it.
A single glance.
A single detail.
His voice cracked slightly.
"I… I think I just saw a red demon…"
.....
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