Chapter 115: Venom Debuts
Gasping for breath, Spider-Man struggled to summon his strength, his body shuddering as if delivering his last words, "Tentacles? Is that all you got? It hurts less than ten tickles..."
His body then became limp, hanging on the tendrils drilling through him.
"I already said he won't last one minute," Kakuzu coldly uttered, his arm retracting with his haul.
Towing the corpse before his eyes, Kakuzu sneered, his expression devoid of mercy.
"You have good instincts, I'll give you that. But it won't save you from the grasp of death."
In a swift and brutal motion, he withdrew his arm from Spider-Man's chest, causing a rush of purplish blood to gush forth, "It's unfortunate that I have no need for a new heart, but I can count on the money your head will bring."
As Spider-Man's body slumped to the ground, Kakuzu prepared to clean up his spoils...
Itachi, silently observing the battle, seemed to have discovered something, but didn't speak out to warn his companion.
Moments into his collection routine, Kakuzu's eyes suddenly narrowed, his instincts warning him of an imminent threat!
With lightning reflexes, he swiftly dodged backward, narrowly evading a glossy jet-black spike that exploded out from Spider-Man's body!
Although Kakuzu managed to avoid a direct hit, a scratch marred his face, much to his irritation!
Raising his hand, Kakuzu wiped away the thin trace of blood, and he couldn't help but mutter under his breath when he saw the strange sight, "Interesting."
In between the trio of spectators, the glossy black spike wriggled and writhed, swiftly retracting into Spider-Man's body.
Then, the transformation began, engulfing Spider-Man in a swirling mass of black tendrils...
This mass grew in size, soon towering above the three combatants, becoming the dominant presence in the battlefield!
Reaching the height of a small giant, slowly but surely, the squirming mass took on a humanoid shape, its form a fusion of rubber-like flexibility and pulsating living tissue.
On the creature's chest, the darkness gave way to a large, white spider emblem, a stark contrast against the abyssal darkness that made up its body.
The creature's face soon took shape, dominated by its distinctive, large white eyes reminiscent of Spider-Man's own mask. However, there was a predatory gleam in them, an unsettling intensity that set it apart.
When the creature's mouth split opened, an array of sharp, elongated teeth came into view, jagged and asymmetrical like fangs. Some teeth appeared serrated or pointed, adding to the creature's ferocious visage.
A long, sinewy tongue, slimy and writhing, rolled out from within, dripping with venomous anticipation to accompany the creature's eerie first words.
"Finally, it's my turn."
The creature's hiss resonated with raw power, prompting Kakuzu's green pupils to narrow with interest.
"Well, well, it seems you've lived more than a minute. You're more than just a mere insect now, aren't you?"
He had expected a worthless opponent in the idiotic brat, but this transformation gave the battle an interesting twist.
This creature, a lifeform he has never seen, exuded an aura of primal dominance - a force he didn't mind spending some extra time to crush.
Smirking beneath his mask, Kakuzu taunted, "Let's see if this new dress-up matches your arrogance. Prepare to die!"
Radiating a menacing intensity that screamed the same confidence as his opponent, Venom's towering figure loomed over Kakuzu, making its intent of battle clear, "Prepare yourself, food. You will soon learn the true meaning of fear because… we. Are Venom."
Without warning, Venom's arms opened wide as if asking for a "friendly hug"!
In the face of the creature with a size even greater than his own, Kakuzu's agility saved him, allowing him to swiftly pull away from Venom's predatory lunge!
Boom! Venom's hulk arms came smashing down, leaving deep, crater-like cracks on the forest grounds!
"Not too shabby." Kakuzu's eyes narrowed. Pure physique? What incredible strength! "But not enough."
Twisting its grotesque face, Venom locked its menacing gaze on the retreating Kakuzu.
Venom's jaws opened wide, and its elongated tongue shot forth, drilling through the air like a harpoon! The tip of the tongue pierced through Kakuzu's body, eliciting a grunt of pain, before pulling its prey back like a frog's tongue!
But then, in a baffling turn of events, the captured Kakuzu's body melted and transformed into water, flowing and washing away!
From a nearby puddle, Kakuzu's form rose up once more, his arm already aiming at Venom who barely turned to look over!
Swoosh! Kakuzu's hand punctured the air, blasting towards the unprepared Venom like a cannon!
Without hesitation, Venom's muscular arms swung to the side to meet the oncoming attack, its own claw-like arm colliding head-on with Kakuzu's!
Pow! The clash of power created a seismic wave that rippled through the surroundings, the force threatening to push back everything in its path!
Yet, neither combatant yielded, their contest of strength reaching an impasse.
Suddenly, the ground behind Venom quaked. A thick bundle of gray tendrils erupted from the earth where Kakuzu previously stood, reaching out like vengeful specters towards its preoccupied adversary!
It was a trap that Kakuzu had cunningly prepared on the fly during the start of their battle, a hidden ace that now came into play!
With a resounding impact, the tendrils collided with Venom's body, skewering its victim from behind!
Yet, Kakuzu's satisfaction was short-lived.
Shockingly, the tendrils faced an unexpected resistance as if striking against a hard, impenetrable carapace hidden within his opponent's inner body!
Verdict: trap failed.
So, Kakuzu attempted to retract his tendrils, only to widen his eyes in disbelief moments later. He couldn't!
His tendrils were ensnared within Venom's body, tightly coiled and constricted by Venom's writhing form!
Not only that, Venom's body squirmed and wriggled, melting the tendrils as if it were consuming and assimilating them, showcasing an alien nature defying all logic!
A low, menacing chuckle rumbled from Venom's throat. "Think your tentacles can beat me? I am the amalgamation of power and darkness. And… Tentacles? Two can play at that."
Kakuzu's mind raced, wanting to assess the situation, but Venom didn't give him much time to think!
Venom's elongated tongue licked over its own sinister grin, almost immediately granting the trio insight into one of its hidden trump cards!
Squelch! Black, glossy tendrils erupted from Venom's body, crashing toward Kakuzu like a wave of darkness!
However, what really piqued the trio's interest was the surge of recognition that washed over them. They realized Venom's tendrils were eerily similar to Kakuzu's own tendrils birthed from his forbidden technique!