Duel World.
Splat!
Captain Universe Spider-Man's head was crushed under Morlun's foot. The Spider-Men, witnessing this, fell silent.
The Web of Life and Destiny's disturbance had stripped them of their powers, even Captain Universe.
Only when the cosmic starlight faded did they snap back to reality.
"Captain Universe is dead."
All the Spider-Men sighed. Charlie, exasperated, shook his head.
If he remembered right, Captain Universe Spider-Man could defeat Doctor Doom.
But now…
No matter. One Captain Universe Spider-Man was gone, but thousands of Spider-Men remained!
He shouted, "Takuya, Battle Soul Sword!"
BOOM~
Takuya Yamashiro was violently hurled skyward, vanishing as a twinkling star.
Beside the tilting skyscraper, the Battle Soul Sword, devoured by the golden Leech totem, was reduced to a hilt.
Charlie: "…"
"Motherfucker, a plot kill?!"
Charlie stomped, teeth gritted. "What a mess!!"
In the comics, whether Captain Universe or Spider-Mom, Spider-Men who could crush Inheritors always died by plot twists.
The Duel World was no exception.
He couldn't tell if this was fate's mockery or Spider-Man's ultimate end.
All he knew was…
Morlun was coming!
"Die!!"
The city quaked as the golden Leech totem loomed, dimming every Spider-Man's totem energy.
Charlie's Spider totem was no exception.
Buzz~
His Spider totem barely flared above him, but before its magical energy could unleash, Morlun's fist obliterated him.
Having killed the "defenseless" Captain Universe, Morlun's dominance was undeniable.
As his killing intent spread, Charlie's body shattered into light particles.
Morlun knew the real Invincible Spider-Man wasn't dead!
This was just a clone!
But the other Spider-Men didn't know.
Watching the Invincible Spider-Man dissolve into fragments, they despaired.
"My God, Charlie Parker's dead!"
"Cruel Inheritors!"
"What do we do?"
"How do we fight?"
Lizard Parker pointed at Morlun atop the skyscraper, his expression fierce. "He's mine!"
BOOM!
Before he finished, Brix's fist pierced his body.
"Lowly bugs, you're not worthy to face Lord Morlun."
Brix laughed cruelly, charging at the despairing Supreme Peter and others.
"Kill!"
Daemos followed, leading the Inheritors to crush the Spider-Men.
"No~"
Spider-Ham, wielding his mallet, smashed a Bat totem into a figurine, but his 2D powers from the animal universe couldn't save him from becoming prey.
BOOM!!
CRASH~~
As Spider-Ham was devoured by a Leech totem, his 2D Spider totem shattered.
This horrific scene repeated across the battlefield.
In the sky, Supreme Peter exhausted his magical energy to open a web portal, hoping to break the strange Duel World and let everyone escape the Inheritors' slaughter.
First-stage Spider totems were no match for the Inheritors.
Escape was their only chance.
But Doctor Doom's Duel World was beyond Supreme Peter's power to break.
His magical energy spread, but the barrier held firm, and his eyes dimmed.
His Spider totem turned to ash, and a vicious claw slowly withdrew from his body.
After killing Supreme Peter, Daemos inhaled deeply.
He absorbed the scattered Spider totem energy and targeted Thunder God Peter.
"Gaga, pitiful Spider-Men, tremble!"
Daemos shot like a cannonball, his body wrapped in dense totem energy, forming a monstrous Leech with a ghastly maw.
As one of the few second-stage totem warriors in his family, these first-stage Spider-Men were toys to him.
This was the power fate granted them—and their curse of self-destruction.
But if Spider-Men were destroyed before the Inheritors fell, the Inheritors would endure forever.
"Kill!!"
A chilling intent froze the world. The gray sky turned blood-red, and countless Spider-Men fell under the Inheritors' slaughter.
BOOM~
Thunder God Peter's hammer hit the ground, his eyes hollow.
As he knelt, he thought he saw Charlie's figure.
A hallucination, maybe.
He closed his eyes, his totem energy fully consumed by Daemos.
Around his body lay familiar figures.
Supreme Peter, Lizard Parker, Venom without Parker writhed, only to be devoured by Brix as a snack.
Muscle Peter's flesh was stripped, his bones used as decorations by Daemos.
Parallel universe Gwen Spider and Miles turned to fragments in an explosion, their tattered Spider suits carried by the bitter wind.
In a park littered with severed limbs, Miguel was impaled on a Spider-Man statue, his eyes lifeless.
In a nearby corner, Scruffy Peter clutched his slippers, trembling. Passing Inheritors ignored the cowardly Spider-Man.
He wasn't worth their time.
Their mission was to find stronger Spider-Men—the real threats.
Buzz~
Suddenly, overwhelming drowsiness hit. A passing Inheritor collapsed before Scruffy Peter.
"No!!"
Scruffy Peter screamed, but a shadow overhead snapped at him.
"Shut up!"
Mary Jane mercilessly snapped the Inheritor's neck. Seeing the Bat totem vanish, she relaxed.
Her strength couldn't handle true Leech totems, so she targeted the Inheritors' Bat totem vassals.
After dealing with him, she turned to Scruffy Peter.
Their eyes met, but Mary Jane had no words.
Not all Spider-Men had the courage to face the Inheritors.
With their Spider totems suppressed, they were less than bugs.
She left, leaving Scruffy Peter in collapse.
He held back tears, burying his head in his knees.
He wanted the courage to defy fate.
But he couldn't.
He'd lost everything, no longer brave enough to be Spider-Man.
…
Underground Fortress at the Statue of Liberty.
A secret base left by Hydra, proof the Duel World was once an independent realm.
In the darkness, a dim light flickered, illuminating Charlie's weary face.
As the light wavered, darkness receded, and G'iah returned with Captain Universe Spider-Man's suit.
"It's ordinary. It doesn't have the power we need," G'iah said, exhausted.
Mary Jane, silent, watched Charlie.
Charlie took the suit, sighing.
"How many of us are left?" he asked.
Mary Jane closed her eyes, sensing, then opened them. "Less than a hundred, and they're still being hunted."
Hearing the number, Charlie understood.
G'iah closed her eyes deeply. "If we can't find a way, I'll have to use Null's power again."
She looked at Charlie, her expression complex. "Then, I might kill you again."
Charlie: "…"
"Let's not go there. Where's the Gene Lock Null wants?" he asked.
G'iah shook her head. "It's not here, I'm sure. Otherwise, Null wouldn't have left so easily."
Charlie pondered. "If it comes to that, do it."
"No, that won't work." G'iah turned away.
She said, "I'm neither Spider-Man nor symbiote now. I don't know what I am. Even if I use Null's power to beat the Morlun family, it won't change Spider-Man's fate."
Charlie nodded, seeing her point.
This was a duel between Spider-Men and Inheritors.
If Null's power interfered, the Web of Life and Destiny might not acknowledge it.
Even now, he couldn't discern the Web's purpose.
No one could fathom the enigma of fate.
He'd have to rely on himself.
Taking a deep breath, he formed hand seals, releasing his Spider totem.
Buzz~
Magic spread, and Charlie's consciousness entered a strange state.
He saw familiar faces.
This was the inspiration he gained from delaying the Duel World.
All totem energies in the Totem Universe came from a Dragon totem.
Could Spider totems be the same?
Knowing the third-stage Leech totem was unbeatable, he still opened the Duel World.
Here, countless Spider-Men were slaughtered, and the Inheritors devoured them one by one.
But Charlie collected their Spider totem energies.
Only when a Spider-Man died could their totem accept a new "master."
He needed power—the Spider-Men's power.
Morlun didn't take Charlie's words seriously, but the Spider-Men did.
"Lend me your power!"
Charlie entered his own "Web of Destiny."
He whispered, and figures appeared before him.
Supreme Peter, Thunder God Peter, Lizard Parker, Venom Parker, Spider-Ham, T-Rex Peter…
They appeared, smiling silently at Charlie.
These were their totem energies.
Now, they were willing to lend them to him.
In that moment, scattered Spider totem energies in the Duel World sensed something.
Red-and-blue light particles in the dust formed a totem galaxy, flowing toward Charlie, revealing his location to the Inheritors.
A breathtaking totem galaxy spanned the sky. Morlun, atop the skyscraper, sneered.
"Hmph, Charlie Parker. Ruthless enough to watch me kill your allies, then use their power to empower yourself. Quite the surprise!"
He smirked. Brix, sensing the immense totem energy, looked grim.
"We can't let him get that power. Let's consume it!"
Daemos patted his round belly, resentful. "How? We've killed so many Spider-Men, we'd burst if we took more."
They'd slain too many, more than a few Inheritors could absorb.
Morlun, calm, smiled. "No rush. No amount of Spider totems can cause a qualitative change. They're doomed."
Brix and Daemos realized he was right.
"Right, even absorbing tons of allied totem energy can't transform his totem qualitatively."
"Haha, that guy doesn't get totem energy!"
They laughed.
Only the Inheritors understood.
Spider-Men and Inheritors stood at fate's opposing ends. Only absorbing each other's totem energy could make them stronger.
Absorbing allies' totem energy only made it sturdier, not evolved.
Morlun knew this.
He waved, leading the Inheritors toward Liberty Island.
"Let's see the Invincible Spider-Man's despair after his efforts!"
…
Meanwhile, in the base, Mary Jane sensed the Inheritors' auras closing in.
Watching Charlie absorb the totem galaxy, she grew anxious. "They've found us. What do we do?"
G'iah took a deep breath, her eyes resolute. "No matter what, we have to stop them." She looked at Charlie softly, smiling. "In the end, he gave us our last hope."
Her eyes turned blood-red, her Symbiote Dragon totem flaring as she smashed through the ceiling toward the Inheritors.
"It's her!"
The endless darkness reappearing filled Daemos with fear, still haunted by Bora's death.
Brix laughed. "Don't worry. Her totem energy's strong, but Null didn't lend her much darkness this time. She's no match for Morlun."
Morlun's eyes narrowed, locking onto G'iah in the darkness.
"She's buying time for Charlie Parker. Interesting."
His eyes blazed gold, and his golden Leech totem became a massive beast, lunging into the darkness.
ROAR~
BOOM!
Golden light flickered in the darkness, and the Symbiote Dragon totem wavered.
Since Null realized the Gene Lock wasn't here, he'd abandoned G'iah.
Only by leaving the Duel World would Null use her again to find it.
So G'iah was no match for Morlun now.
As she fought desperately, Charlie, absorbing the totem galaxy, wasn't taking in Spider totem energy as Morlun thought.
If totem evolution were that easy, Morlun wouldn't be the only third-stage warrior.
Charlie sought the truth.
The truth of the Spider totem!
If all Totem Universe energies came from a mysterious source, the Spider totem must too.
After collecting enough totem energy, Supreme Peter and the others vanished.
In their place was a simple woman weaving an unfinished Web of Life and Destiny with ordinary needle and thread.
The ancient goddess Neith!
The Web of Life and Destiny came from her hands.
In that moment, Charlie's gaze seemed to cross time and space.
Neith seemed to sense him too.
Their eyes met across time, tilting the scales of fate.
Charlie saw the truth.