Thunder crashed down again, slamming into Daredevil's body as waves of black mist burst outward like ruptured veins. Even so, the darkness wasn't truly gone. If you looked closely, its roots still clung stubbornly to him, tethered deep within, refusing to let go.
Rex Viper's eyes narrowed as his thoughts shifted, and the dragon energy coursing through his body transformed instantly. In the next moment, a radiant sphere of golden-green light gathered in his palm, humming with compressed force. His expression hardened, all hesitation gone, as he drove his fist forward with full intent.
The dragon energy surged straight into Daredevil's chest, and a raw, agonized scream tore out of him. Thick black energy erupted violently from his body, twisting and writhing like a living thing desperate to reclaim its host. It pulsed with malice, struggling to reverse what was being done.
At the same time, Kingpin noticed the shift. He pushed himself up with a furious roar and charged forward, his massive frame barreling through debris. But Rex reacted instantly, converting every ounce of energy in his body into crackling lightning and releasing it in a devastating burst.
Violent arcs of electricity filled the air, turning the battlefield into a storm. In that moment, Rex stood at the center of it all like a god descended to earth. The lightning didn't just block Kingpin's advance—it also formed an impenetrable barrier, preventing the black energy from reaching Daredevil again.
Inside that raging storm, Daredevil slowly began to regain consciousness. His breathing was ragged, his body trembling as awareness returned.
For a brief second, he looked dazed, but then his expression collapsed into despair. His sight fell upon the burning city around him, flames licking at broken buildings, smoke staining the sky, and his voice came out as a broken whisper.
"What… did I do?"
Rex's gaze stayed fixed on him, steady and unflinching. "You became a criminal, Matt Murdock."
Daredevil stiffened at the name, confusion flashing across his face before recognition hit. "You know my name… You're… Iron Man? No… Demon Face."
Rex gave a slow nod, but there was a trace of something heavier behind his eyes. "Matt… I'm going to kill you."
Inside the system's judgment, even though the demonic force had already begun to separate from his body, Daredevil was still classified as a silver-level criminal. That alone sealed his fate. Rex had never hesitated when it came to prey, and he wasn't about to start now.
The thunderstorm around them gradually weakened, and Kingpin was already pushing forward again, forcing his way through the dying arcs of electricity.
Daredevil didn't resist. Instead, he looked at the drifting black energy still trying to reach him, then slowly closed his eyes and gave a faint nod, as if accepting everything at once.
"The evil isn't just in the body," he said quietly, his voice steady despite everything. "It clings to the soul. It spreads outward constantly, contaminating everything it touches. But… if it fully dissipates… the corruption ends."
Rex's grip tightened as understanding clicked into place. "Got it."
Without hesitation, he bent his knees slightly, pulling his right arm back as every ounce of strength gathered into a single point. His muscles tensed, the air around his fist compressing under the pressure like it was being crushed by an invisible hammer.
"I'll send you off."
The punch landed.
A deafening boom exploded outward, and blood and flesh scattered violently across the ground. Without the enhancement of the black energy, Daredevil's body simply couldn't withstand the sheer force behind Rex's strike—five tons of power delivered without restraint.
The thunder dissipated completely.
Black mist flickered again, wrapping around the shattered remains on the ground as if trying to restore what had been lost. But at this level, it was powerless. It could no longer bring him back.
"No—!"
Kingpin's roar tore through the battlefield, filled with rage and disbelief. "What have you done?! That was the perfect vessel! There's nothing like it left in this world!"
He charged forward in fury, intent on tearing Rex apart. But before he could even reach him, something changed.
The black mist surrounding Daredevil's remains suddenly surged, then shot straight into Kingpin's body.
His charge halted mid-motion.
A sharp crack echoed as the red mask on his face split apart. Kingpin clutched his head, letting out a guttural scream before collapsing onto the ground, writhing in agony. His massive body convulsed as something inside him began to take control.
A distorted, inhuman laugh bubbled out of his throat.
"Hehe… haha… hehehe…"
Slowly, he rose to his feet again, but his eyes were no longer human. They had turned completely black, with no trace of white remaining, and dark energy seeped out of them like smoke.
"Those old fools dared to seal my consciousness," the voice rasped, dripping with hatred. "Too easy for them to die. They should've been burned in hellfire for days… then carved apart piece by piece."
Its gaze locked onto Rex, and a grotesque, greedy expression spread across its face.
"Such perfect muscle structure… tight limbs… flawless male form…" it muttered with eerie fascination. "Those idiots didn't even realize… your body is the best vessel in this world."
Rex flicked his eyes toward the system interface, his thoughts racing.
Platinum-level prey.
So this was the real form of the beast. After everything—the fight, the destruction, even Daredevil's death—it had all circled back to the beginning.
"What a joke," Rex muttered under his breath.
The beast lunged at him.
Rex met the attack head-on, their fists colliding with explosive force. Shockwaves rippled outward, kicking up dust and debris as the two clashed again and again, their movements blurring into streaks of motion.
This version of the beast was undeniably stronger than before. It far surpassed what Daredevil had been capable of. But even so, its power still fell just short of Rex's own.
That didn't make things easy.
Driving it out of Kingpin's body would be far harder this time. Even at full power, there was no guarantee Rex could do it.
His gaze flicked briefly toward the high-voltage cable he had torn free earlier, now lying useless after the power outage caused by the destruction. An idea formed, rough but possible.
If he could find a power plant and overload it with lightning…
"Worth a shot," he muttered.
His eyes sharpened, and he stopped holding back.
Every remaining drop of dragon energy erupted at once, doubling his output in a violent surge. With a thunderous impact, his fist punched straight through the beast's torso, tearing open a massive hole before it could react.
Then came the follow-up.
A brutal kick to the knee.
Crack.
The left leg shattered.
Another kick.
Crack.
The right leg broke as well.
The beast collapsed, its body unable to support itself. Just as Rex reached forward to grab it by the collar, his senses picked up something new.
Black mist.
Thin strands of it were drifting in from the distance, converging toward them.
The beast laughed from the ground, its voice filled with disdain. "If I hadn't crossed that magic array, I wouldn't be this weak. I don't need bodies like yours… but don't think this is everything I've got."
A surge of black energy erupted from Kingpin's body, merging with the incoming mist. In seconds, it formed into a grotesque, massive head with a single horn, floating in the air like a nightmare given shape.
"Become my perfect body," it growled. "I'll lead you to conquer the world."
Rex stared up at the monstrous head, completely unfazed. If anything, there was a flicker of interest in his eyes.
"You really haven't seen much, have you?" he said calmly. "You want a strong body? Mine's decent, sure. But there's something better out there."
He smirked slightly.
"A real monster. Big, green, and built like a walking apocalypse. The kind of guy who could grab a god and slam him straight into the ground."
The black head paused for a fraction of a second.
"Don't try to deceive me, child," it snapped. "No amount of muscle can rival a god."
Rex snorted. "You're the one thinking too small. This planet's produced all kinds of freaks. You picked the wrong place to invade."
The creature roared, its form swelling with rage. "I'll devour your soul!"
Black energy surged forward like a tidal wave.
At the same time, Rex moved.
The mist tried to coil around him, wrapping his body in suffocating layers. But just as it separated from Kingpin completely, Rex's fist shot forward and slammed into the now-empty body.
Boom.
The impact echoed.
"Got you," Rex said, grinning as the black energy tightened around him. "Kingpin's gone. You've got no one left to possess."
The horned head froze for a moment, confusion flickering through its monstrous features. Something about the situation didn't add up, and instinct screamed at it that something was wrong.
Without hesitation, it lunged forward and bit down.
This attack didn't target flesh—it went straight for the soul.
But the moment it made contact, the creature recoiled in shock.
It was like biting into stone.
"What… is this?"
Rex shrugged casually. "You think I'd stand here without a defense? Soul Defense card. Ever heard of it?"
The creature lashed out again and again, gnashing at him from every angle, but it made no difference. Every attempt failed, leaving it more frantic by the second.
Rex stretched his shoulders slightly, as if warming up. "That all you've got? Because now it's my turn."
"What?"
As the black energy completely enveloped his body, a system prompt appeared.
[The system has detected a gift from the demon god. Do you wish to extract it?]
Rex didn't hesitate.
"Extract."
A shrill scream erupted from the creature as an invisible force wrapped around it, locking it in place. It struggled violently, but it couldn't break free.
"No… this is impossible… you insignificant insect…"
Its voice faded.
[Congratulations. You have obtained the Demon God's gift: Demonized Body.]
With a sharp metallic sound, something dropped from the dissipating black energy.
Rex stepped forward and picked it up, his eyes narrowing slightly as the system issued a new notification.
[Item acquired: Beast Horn — Dimensional Teleportation Key.]
Transmission key?
....
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