Restart, Spider-Man!

The moment the Symbiote Mecha gained self-awareness, its eerie golden eyes lit up and unleashed a pair of searing golden beams.

Zzzzzt...

Boom!

The beams sliced through skyscrapers, heading straight for Xia Luo's location. The ruins erupted once again, engulfed in a fiery explosion that swallowed the giant's body.

While Spider-Man was momentarily distracted, the Symbiote Mecha turned and rushed toward Peni Parker.

"Shit! Run!"

Ben Parker's face twisted in fear as he grabbed Peni and tried to drag her away. But no human could outrun a monstrous mecha.

Bang!

The massive machine lunged, and both of them were consumed by the writhing black liquid.

"No!!"

In the heart of the explosion, arcs of electricity flashed. The red-and-blue giant burst through the fire to see what had happened. Without hesitation, he swung his massive fist.

Thoom~~

The punch unleashed a sonic boom, sending debris swirling into a tornado that hurtled toward the Symbiote Mecha.

Buzz~

The mecha's golden eyes glowed brighter, detecting the incoming threat. It twisted its form into a streamlined shape, transforming into a dart-like flying craft that zipped past Xia Luo's massive frame in an instant.

"Transformers? And it can slide tackle too?" Xia Luo quipped as his fist struck nothing but air, smashing into the ground with earth-shattering force.

"BOOM!"

The devastating impact sent rubble and dust floating momentarily. The dart-like Symbiote Mecha shifted its form mid-air, releasing waves of black liquid that engulfed the heavily wounded Morbius.

Squelch, squelch...

As the liquid reabsorbed into its body, the Symbiote Mecha's size and power surged.

Bang!

A loud explosion followed as black liquid expanded, pushing out jagged bone-like spines from its frame. Bat-like wings unfurled from its back, their metallic surfaces bristling with grotesque fragments. The humanoid mecha began mutating further, inching toward full monstrosity.

Screeeeech!!

The evolving black monstrosity let out a piercing roar, its howl shaking the entire city. Terrified citizens cowered in fear, trembling at the bone-chilling sound.

"Hahaha, perfect! Yes, that's it! Devour Spider-Man and become the ultimate destroyer of worlds!"

Norman Osborn's maniacal laughter echoed in the control room as the Symbiote Mecha launched itself into the sky.

Boom!!

Its enormous wings sent violent gusts ripping through the ruins, clearing large swathes of debris.

Watching the creature vanish into the night sky, Norman's grin grew wider.

"Hahaha! Excellent. I see now. Indulge in your feast and enjoy it to the fullest!"

At the scene, Xia Luo silently observed the monster's retreat. His eyes gleamed with determination.

Aunt May, Uncle Ben, Peni Parker—they were all consumed.

Next, the creature would likely target the prison holding all the captured monsters.

Norman's plan was nearing completion.

The moment of reckoning was at hand.

Whirrr~

Xia Luo raised his hand and traced a glowing circle. A massive, fiery portal appeared, its edges crackling with dark energy. He stepped through, his towering form disappearing as the portal slowly closed.

Back in the city, countless onlookers stared at the live broadcasts of the ruined landscape, their faces still etched with terror.

Suddenly, the screens turned black. Moments later, a crazed man appeared on every screen.

"Hahaha! Dear viewers, the moment has arrived. The Symbiote Core will now destroy the world. Are you ready to face your final judgment?"

The audience gasped in horror at the familiar face.

"It's Norman Osborn!"

"Oh my God, it's him! It has to be him—he must have created the Symbiote Mecha!"

"He's going to kill us all!"

"Oh no... My God, why is he doing this?"

"Destroying the world? This is insane!"

"Why? Why would he do this?"

At the Daily Bugle building, the sudden appearance of Norman sent the entire newsroom into a panic.

In his office, J. Jonah Jameson stared at the screen, a heavy sigh escaping his lips.

"So... he's finally chosen this path."

The memories of that fateful day were still vivid in his mind.

On-screen, Norman's bloodshot eyes glared into the camera, the veins in his eyes spreading like cracks in a mirror.

His face contorted with rage as he spoke. "I will never forget that day... when all of you pushed a child to the brink."

"You all knew that developing mecha technology takes time. You all believed I would fail."

"You never once believed I could create groundbreaking technology—fine."

"You mocked my dreams—fine."

"But you had no right to tell a child that his father was a liar."

"You were so desperate to expose my 'lies.' So desperate to prove that I couldn't achieve the impossible."

"But my son, Harry, he believed in me. He always believed in me."

"For him, I would give up everything."

"But then, that day came. The reporters exposed Harry's school, eager to tell him his father could never succeed."

"What crime did my son commit? Was it wrong for him to believe in his father?"

"Why? Why would you use your vile words to tarnish his faith? Why would you force a child to prove his father wasn't lying in front of the entire world?"

"Hahaha, ridiculous! You adults are more childish than children! You reveled in my supposed failure, even though it brought you no benefit."

"But you wanted to see it, didn't you?"

"You clung to your pitiful understanding of science, refusing to believe in anything beyond your limited comprehension."

"You were arrogant, prejudiced, and determined to convince everyone that your narrow worldview was correct."

"Hahaha! Yes, mecha technology is a joke! Norman Osborn can't succeed! You were right, weren't you?"

"You believed it all along: Osborn Industries was a scam, and all of you fools were conned."

"Norman Osborn is a liar, and his child is a little liar."

"You, the righteous heroes, were hellbent on exposing me. You wanted my son to know the 'truth.'"

"You wanted to see me fail. You wanted to see my son humiliated."

"You wanted us to leave New York as failures.""

Norman began mimicking the faces of those who had mocked him, his expressions growing more twisted and deranged.

Suddenly, he roared into the camera, his voice raw with anguish.

"I couldn't take it anymore. Neither could Harry. He ran. He ran to escape your cruelty, but you wouldn't let him go. Bullying a child gave you such pride, didn't it?"

"Well, congratulations. He's dead now."

"He was hit by a passing car."

"That day was his birthday."

"I was waiting for him at home, waiting to celebrate his seventh birthday."

"But he never came back."

"You killed him."

"And so did I."

"My yearly donations fed you too well!"

Norman Osborn roared furiously, then collapsed onto the floor, clutching his sides as he burst into hysterical laughter.

"Hahaha! I still remember your ridiculous stubbornness when the mecha was unveiled all those years ago."

"Keep running your mouths! It doesn't matter, because the mecha wasn't created to save you—it was built to destroy you all."

Norman's smile twisted into something grotesque. "I've figured you out completely. That's why, to shut you up, I secretly created a horde of monsters."

"Yes, monsters."

"They were humans once, but does it really make a difference?"

"Humans are monsters by nature!"

The revelation made those watching on TV shudder in fear. So this was the truth behind the appearance of the monsters.

Norman continued, his tone cold: "Developing the mecha was Harry's greatest dream, so I won't stop."

"The monsters? They were my revenge—a way to destroy all of you and this filthy world."

"I was torn, tormented by angels and demons alike."

"But in the end, I chose the demon's side."

"Why? Because I miss my son. I love Harry. And for the ones we love, aren't we willing to do anything?"

"This is what you taught me: to accept my own failures for the sake of my child."

"I admit it. I failed to protect Harry. I'm a failure as a father."

"And now, I will make amends."

"My way of making amends is to destroy you, to prove I was right all along."

"The meteor that fell to Earth is my trump card. The symbiote from that alien world will bring an end to all of this."

Norman's voice cracked with rising intensity.

"Unfortunately, the Spider-Man from another universe refused to pilot the Symbiote Mecha. The Symbiote Core couldn't devour him."

"But it doesn't matter. Once the symbiote has consumed every monster, even Spider-Man won't stand a chance."

"It will devour Spider-Man. It will devour everyone. And it will destroy this world completely."

Norman panted heavily, his voice dropping to a murmur. "Of course, it will destroy me too."

"But I don't care. My life was ruined long ago."

He pressed a button, and the screen shifted to show the monster prison.

A massive symbiote creature had descended on the island.

Boom!!

Golden beams shot from its eyes, collapsing the ground and exposing the underground base to the world.

The imprisoned monsters, weak and lethargic, writhed uneasily as they sensed the symbiote's presence. But none of them had the strength to resist.

Squelch, squelch~

Black liquid spread rapidly, engulfing the monsters one by one, merging them into the symbiote and fueling its transformation into a colossal beast over 100 meters tall.

Screeeeech!!

The black monster let out a deafening roar. Its horrifying form bore the traits of every monster it had consumed: the scales of the lizard beast, the tentacles of the octopus beast, the scorpion tail of the giant scorpion, the hallucinogenic mist of Mysterio, the talons and beak of the vulture beast, the electric arcs of the lightning beast, the chameleon's color-shifting scales, and Morbius's glowing red eyes and fangs.

This grotesque amalgamation created a visual horror that left all who witnessed it frozen in fear.

Boom!!

With a flap of its wings, the symbiote monster unleashed waves of electric arcs, causing towers on the island to sway precariously.

Crack~

Norman, drained and trembling, gazed up from beneath a collapsed wall.

In the surging blue light of the electric arcs, he thought he saw Harry—a child, innocent and pure, as he once was.

Norman smiled faintly and opened his arms.

After venting a decade's worth of hatred, clarity returned to his mind.

The demon's promises were never meant to be kept.

He knew Harry was never coming back.

Crrrr~

Crunch!

The next moment, the symbiote monster's gaping maw closed around the tower's peak, swallowing it whole.

"Osborn!"

J. Jonah Jameson, watching from his office, turned pale as he witnessed Norman being devoured. He sank into his chair, staring blankly at the terrifying figure beneath the storm clouds.

Back when Jameson had just started the Daily Bugle, he had joined the chorus of voices attacking Osborn Industries in an effort to gain traction.

Though he hadn't held much influence at the time, he had played a part.

And now, he regretted it deeply—but it was far too late.

With each beat of the monster's massive wings, the storm clouds churned. Fighter jets sent to intercept it couldn't approach, forced to watch as the creature absorbed lightning to fuel its glowing scales.

The monster continued to grow, unstoppable.

No—someone could stop it.

---

On the rocky shore of the island, a red-and-blue figure stood silently, observing.

"So this is its final form?"

Xia Luo stared calmly at the monstrous figure.

If he didn't have Pym Particles, he wouldn't stand a chance against such a beast.

But "if" didn't matter.

His goal wasn't merely to defeat the creature.

According to Mephisto's cryptic hints, the real Mary Jane would appear before him, but he'd only have one chance to choose correctly.

The odds were slim.

But if there was only one option left, he couldn't choose wrong.

The symbiote core had devoured so many—choosing it was the only way forward.

As this thought solidified, Xia Luo activated the device on his arm. Pym particles shimmered, and the red-and-blue giant rose from the earth.

Screech!

Spotting the giant on the shore, the symbiote monster's elongated eyes twisted in anger.

It no longer feared Spider-Man.

Boom, boom, boom~

Crushing trees beneath its massive form, the beast charged at Xia Luo.

The island quaked with every step, but Xia Luo simply shook his head.

"You've got wings. Why not fly? Too slow."

As the monster barreled forward, Xia Luo bowed his head, the blue light in his eyes dimming.

"It's time."

Watching the scene on his screen, Jameson's eyes gleamed with hope.

Yes, this was it!

Once Spider-Man entered this strange state, he became invincible.

No enemy could rouse the sleeping giant—except himself.

As expected, the colossal beast swung its claws, the tendrils on its back lashing out in unison.

But with a simple spin and mid-air somersault, the red-and-blue giant evaded the seemingly lethal strikes.

Boom, boom!

Tentacles smashed into the ground, sending tremors through the island. The giant's eyes flared to life once more.

Whirr~

A spider emblem lit up as Xia Luo's right hand struck the monster's side with overwhelming force.

Whoosh!

The symbiote creature froze momentarily as twisted, writhing souls began to separate from its body.

Aunt May, Uncle Ben, Peni Parker, Annie, Norman... even Doctor Otto, Professor Connors, Morbius, and others.

Xia Luo's brows furrowed as he recognized the fragmented souls.

There—he saw her.

The scattered fragments of the souls coalesced into a familiar figure.

Mary Jane!

At that moment, Xia Luo finally understood.

Mary Jane's soul wasn't in any one body—it had been divided and buried within the others.

That's why his soul magic had failed to detect her.

Clever, Mephisto. If Xia Luo hadn't been honed by his resurrection trials, he would have stood no chance.

---

Ahem! Gather close, esteemed audience! Do you comprehend the privilege of basking in my radiance? Truly, you're witnessing history in the making—a performance unparalleled in the annals of Fontaine!

Ah, but don't get distracted! Let me be clear: this brilliance isn't conjured from thin air. No, no, no! It requires effort, dedication, and… well, a touch of your generosity. If you fancy being part of something truly extraordinary, do step forward here: [patreon.com/WiseTL].

Oh, but wait! You're probably wondering, "Furina, how can someone as magnificent as you need assistance?" To that, I say: why deny mortals the honor of contributing to such greatness? Supporting me is supporting art, and who doesn't want to say they were instrumental in a legend's rise?

Now, off you go. Make your offerings, and perhaps, perhaps, I'll acknowledge you in my next soliloquy!

— Furina ✨