CHAPTER 104: DEVIL CARD

*Smack!*

The plaque representing the school on the dojo’s interior wall was stained with large patches of bright red blood as the lifeless body of the Sword Master lay on the floor, showing no signs of life.

The hall fell into silence, and the hundreds of swordsmanship disciples were left wide-eyed, displaying a mix of emotions on their faces: sorrow, anger, hatred, shock, and fear.

Kyle’s expression remained indifferent as he calmly retracted his left fist and, with his right hand wearing the Vibranium Bracer, still held the tip of the sword. All skills are inferior; only mutations are superior. This world’s evolutionary branch had no solution!

With strength, speed, reflexes, physical intensity, and more all-surpassing any conventional levels, no matter how peerless one’s swordsmanship might be, an ordinary human body without some extra power couldn’t withstand the full strength of a genetically-enhanced punch.

Only the world’s hidden magic, the innate abilities of extraterrestrial races, or the black technology products from the 21st century’s future might surpass his current evolved progress!

However, the Ancient One’s organization aimed to protect the Earth and Wakanda chose to keep to itself, the invasion of extraterrestrial races and the arrival of Gods hadn’t happened yet and will not happen for some time, and the 21st century was still over fifty years away…

When the tiger is away from the forest, the monkey became the king!

In this World War II era, Kyle dared to walk arrogantly, challenging anyone who didn’t submit!

Inside the dojo, the woman in the kimono stared at the gruesome sight of the Sword Master with eyes filled with hatred and resentment. Suddenly, she snatched a sword from a disciple beside her and, losing her composure, rushed toward Kyle.

Kyle turned indifferently and swung his right wrist, causing the sword to shoot out with a “shoop” sound. It pierced through the woman’s chest at extreme speed, dragging her body back until it was pinned lifelessly to the hall’s entrance.

“Sword Master! Senior Sister!!” The remaining disciples, with eyes brimming with grief and anger, couldn’t suppress their emotions any longer. Holding their swords, they rushed at Kyle from all sides.

“Why didn’t you all attack together from the start?” Kyle shrugged with disinterest. The Venom Battlesuit’s liquid black threads formed a protective headpiece around his neck, while the crimson eyes of Blink’s mask glowed with a cold and sinister look. The tightly clenched fists each extended dark and mysterious claws.

Full Venom Coverage! Claw mode!

Kyle squatted down slightly, gathering power in his legs before dashing forward like Iron Man. The onslaught of hundreds of sword-wielding disciples was scattered by his savage and brutal assault, with several of them being sent flying and spitting blood as they crashed into the doors.

With powerful bursts of acceleration from his feet, Kyle’s clawed hands never stopped slashing and tearing. Each strike resulted in a splatter of blood, and several youths lay on the ground, moaning in pain.

The disciples fearlessly continued their attacks, but their strikes couldn’t break through the Venom Battlesuit’s tough protective layer. Even if their powerful sword strikes managed to slightly penetrate the Battlesuit, any minor wound healed almost instantly.

It seemed less like a hundred people attacking one person but it was more like a lion or tiger entering a flock of sheep. Kyle transformed into a war machine called Slaughter as he continuously reaped the lives of the weak.

When the hall fell into silence once more, Kyle took a deep breath, feeling slightly fatigued. He casually walked out of the courtyard, leaving bloody footprints behind. The radiant sunlight shone on his demonic, crimson-black figure, giving him an eerie and cold aura.

Quickly disguising Venom as the typical attire of Imperial Japan, he returned to his “ordinary passerby” disguise, leisurely leaving the Swordsmanship dojo, which now reeked of blood and fuel.

Three minutes later, the main dojo of the Shinto Swordsmanship was engulfed in flames, the fire spreading uncontrollably to the dozen or so buildings of the swordsmanship school.

The raging flames devoured everything in the dojo, including the centuries-old heritage of the Shinto Swordsmanship.

In the Imperial Palace in Tokyo,

Wearing a luxurious and noble robe, the Emperor stood on the shrine platform within the palace, delivering a speech and declaration to the nearly thousand people gathered in the courtyard.

His expression was dignified, and the robe accentuated an aura of tranquility as he looked down upon the crowd.

“The demon from America took advantage of the vulnerability of our air force base and committed heinous crimes. However, he will soon be dealt with by the military warriors under the protection of the deities. Everyone, believe in us; we have the ability and confidence…”

As the Emperor looked down at the devoted crowd below, who believed him to be a “God,” he maintained a faint smile. He was just about to continue with the rest of his speech when one of his subordinates abruptly ascended the shrine platform, causing him to pause.

Unhappy with the interruption, the Emperor frowned. As the subordinate approached him, he whispered a few hasty words into the Emperor’s ear, causing his expression to change drastically.

“Um, well, let’s conclude the speech here for today,” The Emperor said with a pale face before he casually ended his remarks and left the shrine platform, supported by his subordinate.

Below the platform, the fascinated and relaxed crowd seemed slightly puzzled. They exchanged glances, unsure of what had just happened.

“Is it true that the Shinto Swordsmanship Dojo was completely destroyed by a fire?” Back in the inner chamber of the Imperial Palace, the Emperor took a deep breath and asked with difficulty.

“The fire broke out and spread too quickly. By the time the fire department arrived, over a dozen dojo buildings had already burned down. At the scene, we only found this…” The subordinate said as he slowly took out a card from his pocket. The face of the card depicted a sinister black demon grinning wickedly.

The Emperor looked at the card and couldn’t help but sit on the ground in panic. Finally feeling fearful in his heart, he accepted the Demon Card from his subordinate, who also took out a card identical in design from his own pocket.

Both demon cards had the same format and pattern, seemingly made of metal, which is why they hadn’t been destroyed in the fire. The front of the demon card displayed a tile and a plum blossom.

“Is he declaring war on our country single-handedly, does he intend to play all fifty-four cards?” The Emperor gritted his teeth as he spoke.

“Your Majesty…” The subordinate sighed softly.

“Inform Commander Sasaki to allow all armed forces in Imperial Japan’s Tokyo to mobilize! Make sure to strike back fast!” The Emperor clenched his fists quietly and made a decisive decision. “Also, mobilize the Ninja Organization guarding the Imperial Palace! My safety is secondary; killing that man is the primary objective!”

“Your Majesty, this is extremely risky! Your safety is of utmost importance!” The subordinate pleaded.

The Emperor shook his head and said resolutely, “There’s no need to say more. By the time he plays all fifty-four cards, Imperial Japan will cease to exist as a nation! What use is an Emperor then?”

“In fact, his goal is…” The subordinate hesitated, not continuing further.

“We are a nation of warriors! How can we bow down to him alone!” The Emperor glared at him, swinging his long sleeves determinedly.

Meanwhile, in the Jiangxia District of Tokyo, in front of the main dojo of the Uzushin Swordsmanship School:

Kyle strode forward, revealing his dark battle attire. He faced several guards at the entrance and pushed his way inside. “I am Kyle, and I’ve come to challenge you!”

[Note: The story is set in an alternative universe where Marvel characters and concepts exist in the context of Imperial Japan during World War II.]

(End of this chapter)