Chapter 386: Chapter 386: Child, Oh Child, Why Are You So Naughty?
"Where is the unbeatable victor, where is the boy who does not go, where is the endless melody, where is the party that never ends... Only deep as the sea is the boundless righteousness, let the clouds scatter and the winds gather..."
Inside the hyper-dimensional space, as the music from "Storm Riders 2" gradually faded away, Clark finally took a long sigh of relief.
Today's battle was the most fierce that Clark had faced since becoming a deity, bar none!
On Dormammu's side, his Zhutian Six Swords were mostly damaged, with two of them, Lutian and Xiantian, showing clear cracks on their blades, ready to shatter at any moment. Zhuxian and Jue Xian were slightly better off, but only in comparison to Lutian and Xiantian; to any ordinary observer, they would seem ready to be melted down and recast.
The only two that were still relatively intact were Zhantian and Potian, not because their quality was superior to the previous four, but because the Infinity Stones on these swords were still of great use to Clark, thus he had intentionally protected them.
However, this protection could not last for long. Once Lutian and Xiantian, the divine swords, shattered, they too would be at risk.
All things considered, Clark's Zhutian Six Swords might sound impressive, even more so than the Zhuxian Four Swords, but they truly lacked the domineering attribute of the Zhuxian Sword Array that allowed one to fight against four opponents. He could barely form a sword array based on his understanding of the rules, just enough to momentarily hinder Dormammu's advance. Wishing to injure his enemy was a bit too optimistic, especially under Dormammu's relentless counterattack, as all six swords were nearly overwhelmed.
The situation with the swords was grim, and how could he himself be any better?
Facing the frenzied attacks of the Phoenix entity, Clark's vibranium armor was nearly destroyed, hanging off his body and letting in drafts from all sides. From a distance, he appeared utterly cornered.
In reality, he was indeed nearly driven to desperation by these two formidable foes.
Without the support of the background music, even if he wanted to fight the Phoenix entity to a standstill, it was not feasible under the relentless onslaught of the Phoenix Force. Clark felt like a small boat in a storm, unable to control his movements.
Although becoming a deity had transformed Clark's body beyond its mortal flesh, and he no longer had many weaknesses or flaws, the injuries inflicted by the Phoenix Force were still unavoidable.
How severe were these injuries?
Clark felt that if he could awaken some sort of success-enhancing power right now, he could really give the Phoenix a good hit!
With his current condition, even if he were to play the "Difficult Sutra" again, he couldn't last for very long. If the other Avengers couldn't seize this moment to secure victory, then his meticulously planned operation would truly end in failure.
He could only stall for time!
Thinking thus, Clark casually snapped his fingers.
Phoenix and Dormammu simultaneously struck a strange pose within the hyper-dimensional space...
It was the starting stance of "Gokuraku Jodo"!
Taking a deep breath, Clark called back the Zhutian Six Swords to his side, planning to rest for a moment, but suddenly realized that the music that had just played had disappeared, and these two opponents had once again regained their mobility, charging at him with ferocious momentum!
Damn, it was the energy storm within the hyper-dimensional space!
Facing such a situation, Clark felt a wave of helplessness.
Even if Asgardian-level masters could not withstand the hyper-dimensional space's energy storm, for those of them who were multiverse-level powerhouses, it was completely ignorable. He had thought that this environment could no longer affect him in the slightest, but unexpectedly, such calculated attacks also had the effect of disrupting the "Gokuraku Jodo".
Wasn't this making trouble?
In his frustration, Clark couldn't help but think, how great it would be if he had a BGM right now that could turn the tide of the battle.
No sooner had this thought occurred to him than Clark suddenly paused. Following that, the bitter smile on his lips turned into a smug grin, which gradually became more mischievous.
This BGM, it's rather interesting!
Dodging far away from Dormammu and Phoenix's joint attack, Clark slowly extended his right hand, his gaze landing on Dormammu as he gently snapped his fingers.
The next moment, a melancholic and beautiful melody began to play...
And with the emergence of the music, Dormammu uncontrollably began singing with his voice, which sounded as though he had swallowed ten pounds of salt without water: "Child, oh child, why are you so naughty? Bullying, deceiving, why you do these things?"
This song, already quite annoying on its own, became even more grating when sung through Dormammu's voice, which resembled a cracked gong. It was akin to a level of noise pollution that spanned multiple universes!
As Dormammu's singing commenced, the Phoenix entity, which had been standing side-by-side with him and eyeing Clark menacingly, suddenly turned its head, the look in its eyes signaling danger.
"If you dare continue to pollute my ears with that horrible voice, I'll kill you first!"
However, this threat did nothing to deter Dormammu. Completely ignoring the Phoenix's menacing gaze, he continued to sing loudly with his hoarse voice: "Learn to be a good child, love and cherish..."
The Phoenix, known for its fiery temper, felt provoked by Dormammu's blatant disregard for its warning and immediately switched its target without hesitation. The devastating power of the Phoenix Force was unleashed directly onto Dormammu in a fierce assault.
The song "Children's Songs Three Hundred" had the following effect:
**Level: 1 (Non-upgradable)**
**Effect: The host can designate any target within their sensory range to sing along with the music. The singer will activate an 'Aggro Pull Aura,' attracting the hatred of all targets within the perception range.**
**Each use costs 1 billion impression points!**
What a powerful BGM indeed! Under the influence of Clark's BGM, Dormammu was visibly confused. He was being pummeled on the ground by the Phoenix, who had been his ally moments ago, and it completely overwhelmed him. He tried to speak, to ask the Phoenix to stop the attack and to explain why it was attacking its teammate, but when he opened his mouth, the words that came out were:
"Darling! Please come back..."
Dormammu continued his enthusiastic singing while the Phoenix continued its attack. Under the merciless onslaught of the Phoenix Force, Dormammu was forced to focus solely on defending, with no chance to retaliate.
While enduring the brutal beating from the Phoenix Force and continuing with his excruciatingly unpleasant singing, Dormammu felt utterly miserable.
Clark finally breathed a sigh of relief at this moment.
He didn't rush to kick an opponent while they were down; instead, he pressed the communication button on his earpiece and asked, "Steve, Tony, how are things on your end?"
"The situation is pretty bad!" Amidst a barrage of combat noises, Captain America replied, "The enemy outnumbers us, and the corrupted Phoenix is even stronger than you described. Even with Wanda, Mindy, and Ghost Rider teaming up, they can barely hold their own and are just managing to keep up. My side is on the verge of collapsing at any moment!"
Clark's face grew solemn upon hearing this. While the arrival of Ghost Rider was an unexpected boon, he had sensed a much stronger aura from Jean Grey than before. If reinforcements didn't arrive soon...
"Our team has completed the mission. We've left the Thunder God in Asgard to protect the 'keystone,' and Thor and I will soon reach the Himalayan battlefield!" Captain Marvel's voice came over the communicator, offering a glimmer of hope. With her and Thor's help, perhaps they could stabilize the situation. A joint force of five top-tier fighters might manage to balance the scales against the dark Phoenix.
As for Tony, he finally spoke: "Things are complicated on my end. The enemy's combat strength isn't too formidable, but they possess a very tricky shapeshifting ability that even Eris and Friday can't distinguish. Only Peter's Spider-Sense is able to clearly identify friend from foe."
After a brief pause, he added, "Lois has already come over to help. But honestly, if it weren't for their tricky shapeshifting, our squad's combat power would be sufficient on its own."
Clark was about to say something more when Daisy's voice interrupted through the communicator: "The 'keystone' on Morag has been successfully installed. I've left the others there to guard it, and I'm now speeding towards Earth. I should reach the battlefield in about thirty seconds."
Hearing everyone's updates, Clark immediately commanded, "Lois, your abilities aren't much help to Tony right now. Use your space abilities to head to the Himalayas and support Steve. Tony, I'll figure out a way to handle your situation."
"Got it!"
Lois responded crisply, and almost as soon as her voice faded, her figure disappeared from the Dark Quadrant, appearing above the Himalayan battlefield. She preferred facing the dark Phoenix head-on to dealing with these indistinguishable enemies.
Watching his strongest ally, Lois, vanish, Tony felt a mix of frustration and hope. He was left dealing with seven or eight enemies that looked just like him, silently hoping that Clark's plan would prove reliable. These shapeshifting enemies were truly vexing to handle!
Clark had never let them down before, and this time was no exception.
Just as Tony was pondering what Clark might do to assist him, the sky suddenly filled with countless swirling space portals.
"Whoosh!"
Suddenly, a web shot out from one of the portals, ensnaring one of the enemies engaged in battle with Tony, and yanking them up into the air. Then, a figure clad in a sleek black and white spider-suit leaped gracefully from the portal, utilizing the momentum of the pull to land a devastating kick that shattered the enemy's head.
The enemy, once defeated, quickly morphed into a strange creature resembling both a mummy and a withered tree.
Efficiently dispatching her foe, the girl in the spider suit landed next to Tony and cheerily said, "Uncle Stark, nice to see you again."
Spider-Gwen had made a striking entrance!
Meanwhile, Clark continued to coordinate the overall battle strategy from his position, ensuring that every move was calculated to turn the tide of the broader conflict. With the situation on the ground rapidly evolving, his next steps would be crucial in maintaining the momentum gained by his allies' recent successes.
As Clark orchestrated the battle, he remained aware of the importance of each team member's role in this complex fight. He knew that his unique position allowed him to pull strings that could affect the outcome significantly, leveraging the strengths of each hero involved.
On another front, Tony was relieved to see Spider-Gwen arrive, her timing impeccable as always. Her presence meant that the immediate threat could be managed more effectively, allowing him to focus on the larger picture.
Tony quickly updated her on the situation, "We've got these shape-shifters causing chaos. They're tricky, but manageable with the right strategy."
Spider-Gwen nodded, her eyes scanning the battlefield with acute precision. "Let's clean up then. I've missed some action."
The dynamic duo prepared themselves for the ensuing fight, ready to tackle the shapeshifters with a renewed vigor. Tony's armor systems recalibrated for maximum efficiency, and Gwen's spider-senses tingled, alert to any impending threats.
Back in his position, Clark monitored the entire field, ready to make further adjustments as required. His strategic mind was fully engaged, plotting moves and countermoves, always staying two steps ahead of the enemy.
The coordination between heroes exemplified their strength and unity, each contributing their best under Clark's guidance. As the battle waged on, it was clear that despite the overwhelming odds, their collective resolve and strategic acumen gave them an edge.
Clark's leadership was more than just tactical; it was inspirational. As each hero felt the weight of their responsibility, they also knew they were not alone. Together, they were a formidable force, ready to face whatever challenges came their way.
With the stakes higher than ever, the fight for justice and peace continued, each hero playing their part in this grand tapestry of conflict and camaraderie. The battle was far from over, but with Clark's strategic mind and the heroes' brave hearts, hope remained alive, burning brightly against the shadows.
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