The moment Jason's voice cut through the air, Kingpin's laughter died in his throat.
He whirled around, coming face to face with the man who had been haunting his nightmares. His massive body visibly trembled, disbelief etched across his features. "Why are you here? No—how are you still alive?"
Jason stood before him, wearing only a pair of shorts he'd commandeered from David. His muscular torso gleamed in the chaotic light of the burning city. He'd fashioned the rest of his clothing into a makeshift headpiece—crude but unmistakably designed with a mechanical aesthetic.
Black Widow, still kneeling on the ground, caught sight of him. A glimmer of recognition flashed in her eyes before her body finally surrendered to exhaustion, collapsing to the ground.
Jason inwardly sighed. What I told her that day must have affected her deeply. This woman possessed an incredible force of will—even when gravely injured and completely drained, she showed no signs of demonic corruption.
Kingpin stared at Jason, seemingly questioning whether the figure before him was real or some demonic illusion.
"How long have you been watching?" he demanded.
"Well, I was here when you delivered that fascinating speech about this city being a toilet for officials, elites, and wealthy businessmen," Jason replied with mocking admiration. "Such a unique perspective—original and thought-provoking. I was thoroughly entertained!"
"Since you've been here all this time, why haven't you tried to stop me?"
"Why would I stop you?"
Kingpin glanced at the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents scattered nearby—some unconscious, others moaning in pain. "Aren't you working with them?"
"Not even slightly."
Kingpin's eyes narrowed. "You know, despite the considerable trouble you've caused me, I could still accept your surrender."
Jason smiled and shook his head. "That's where we fundamentally differ. I never once considered letting you live."
Kingpin nodded slowly. "Then we have nothing more to discuss. What a pity. But before we proceed, allow me to express my sincere congratulations on your survival. After all, now I'll have the pleasure of killing you with my own hands."
"Come on then," Jason grinned. "I'm already excited!"
With a casual wave of Kingpin's hand, Daredevil launched forward like a missile, the ground cracking beneath his feet from the explosive force.
Watching his approaching figure, Jason remained calm. With a thought, he activated his flash ability, releasing a blinding burst of light directly in Daredevil's face.
It had absolutely no effect. Daredevil's fist continued its whistling trajectory toward Jason's face.
Only when they were inches apart did Jason realize his mistake. "Shit—did I just try to blind someone who's already blind?"
He raised his hand with lightning speed, catching Daredevil's fist in his palm and holding it firmly.
Daredevil struggled to break free and threw another punch, which Jason caught just as easily.
Jason extended his arms, and Daredevil couldn't resist his superior strength. They stood face-to-face, Daredevil's arms stretched out in a cruciform position.
Staring into Daredevil's eyes from mere inches away, Jason raised an eyebrow. "Ding dong! Is Daredevil home? Time to wake up—the sun's already shining on your ass!"
With that, he smashed his forehead into Daredevil's face. The impact sent Daredevil's head snapping backward, but Jason maintained his grip, pulling him back into position.
Jason examined Daredevil's face and eyes again—no change whatsoever.
Tsk, seems like Daredevil really can't find his way home.
Forget it. After being possessed by this magic, he qualifies as gold-level target. I'll kill him and claim another gift package. There's no alternative—I have no method to wake him up, and he's becoming a genuine threat to public safety. If this continues much longer, every crematorium in the Big Apple will be working overtime next month.
Jason paused, frowning. Hmm? Why do I suddenly see a massive business opportunity there?
Shaking off the morbid thought, he stopped holding back. With one powerful kick, he sent Daredevil flying. His eyes widened as electricity crackled around his body.
"BOOM!"
Violent thunder erupted from Jason's form, a silver dragon of pure electrical energy slamming into Daredevil with devastating force.
Daredevil released a shrill, inhuman howl. His skin cracked open, flesh torn and bloodied, white bone visible beneath.
Black energy poured from his body like smoke, twisting and writhing as if alive. Jason's lightning scattered the dark essence momentarily, but it regathered almost instantly. As soon as his electrical assault ended, the black mist reattached itself to Daredevil's body.
His grievously wounded form began to heal before Jason's eyes, returning to normal with unnatural speed.
"Hahaha! You didn't actually believe your little lightning trick could control everything, did you? How naïve!" Kingpin leaned casually on his cane, watching Jason with amusement, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
Jason regarded him silently before raising his hand and directing several lightning bolts straight at Kingpin.
Kingpin didn't even attempt to move—he merely laughed.
The lightning reduced his white suit to ashes, revealing a dark golden metallic vest beneath.
The electricity struck him but seemed to have minimal effect.
Kingpin remained perfectly composed. "I've known about your electrical abilities for quite some time. Allow me to formally introduce you to... Vibranium armor!" He smirked. "With insulation properties, of course."
Well, that's just bullshit.
Jason had anticipated this development. Upon arriving at the scene, he'd noticed that not only had Daredevil become gold-level target, but Kingpin had also been upgraded from silver to gold tier. Energy similar to the black mist surrounding Daredevil now coursed through Kingpin's body as well!
Some significant change had occurred that Jason wasn't fully aware of.
While engaging Daredevil, he would need to remain vigilant about the smiling fat man observing from the sidelines.
This is a precarious situation.
If both opponents were standard gold-level threats like Black Wolf Spider, Jason wouldn't be particularly concerned. But it was obvious that even among target of the same classification, there could be vast differences in power.
Daredevil's attacks weren't especially threatening on their own.
What gave Jason a headache was the man's apparent indestructibility—wrapped in that black energy, his injuries regenerated almost instantly, allowing him to continuously harass Jason without consequence.
This must be how Wolverine's enemies feel when facing him.
We can't keep this stalemate going indefinitely. I might be able to hold out, but what about the citizens of New York?
At this rate, not only will the city's crematoriums be overwhelmed, they'll need to dig mass graves just to keep up.
Jason vaguely recalled a potential method for countering the "Beast's" power—dragon chi!
Dragon chi supposedly possessed two completely different properties. Beyond its destructive capabilities, it also contained an aspect rich with vitality and restorative power. It could heal wounds and counteract certain magical influences.
However, despite possessing dragon chi for some time now, Jason had never sensed any "vital aspect" within it. His dragon chi functioned primarily as an ability amplifier, specifically for combat purposes.
As he contemplated this dilemma, he suddenly remembered the 114 unassigned attribute points in his system.
Time to take a gamble!
In an instant, he communicated with the system and allocated all remaining points to his will attribute!
His will attribute surged to 273!
Without hesitation, he activated Dragon Chi: Burst!
Only in this heightened state could he fully perceive the dynamic power flowing through his body.
Perhaps it was indeed his newly enhanced mental strength that allowed him to notice it for the first time: while the dragon chi dramatically increased his strength and speed, it was simultaneously repairing muscle fibers damaged by the explosive exertion. This ability had never been actively engaged before, with only minimal dragon chi naturally directed toward this regenerative function.
So that's how it works.
With just a simple shift in understanding and application, the dragon chi could manifest two entirely different properties.
Fascinating!
A smile crept across Jason's face as he watched Daredevil charging toward him again. Time for round two, Hornhead!
At that moment, perhaps growing impatient or sensing a shift in the battle's dynamics, Kingpin frowned and moved to join Daredevil's assault.
As Jason's mind raced with new possibilities, he released a series of small electrical discharges around Kingpin's head.
The crime lord's massive skull momentarily lit up like a human light bulb.
Jason seized the opportunity, driving a powerful kick directly into Kingpin's chest with every ounce of his enhanced strength.
Kingpin's enormous body flew backward like a clumsy lead weight, crashing to the ground and tumbling several yards away.
Now free to focus, Jason used his superior speed to position himself directly in front of Daredevil.
One punch. Two punches. Each strike delivered with such force that it would rupture an ordinary man's internal organs.
After temporarily neutralizing Daredevil's ability to resist, Jason stood before him, extended his index finger, and tapped it against Daredevil's forehead.
In that instant, thunder roared once more!
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