Underwater Ruins.
When Arthur dragged Namor back like a dead dog, the blue sea-dwellers fell into despair.
Their king had been defeated.
"What are you staring at? Keep looking, and I'll pop his eyes out!"
Facing the hostile glares of the sea-dwellers, Arthur shot them a fierce look, using Namor as leverage to keep the desperate fighters at bay.
Charlie nodded approvingly at Arthur's display.
"Not bad, not bad. Pretty ruthless—very my style… ugh, another character arc bites the dust."
He shook his head, while Atlanna lavished praise on Arthur without holding back.
"My child, I knew I was right about you. You're the future Aquaman, the absolute ruler of the seas. I believe Atlantis will shine even brighter under your lead."
Arthur rolled his eyes at his mother's praise, muttering, "You've said that eight hundred times, but you still won't step down. In human TV dramas, you'd be the most venomous queen. If you weren't my dear mommy, I'd have taken you out already…"
His voice was low, but Charlie heard every word.
He could only shrug helplessly.
Royal family drama—always so extra.
"Oh, dear Mommy, thank you for always supporting and believing in me. I'm so touched. I'll keep working hard!"
Arthur switched to a beaming smile, embracing Atlanna in a display of filial piety that made Charlie marvel.
Damn, that's some next-level scheming.
Yup, he was mentally roasting both of them.
Namor, looking like a beaten dog, watched this and darkened further.
"You filthy lot! I'm the true Aquaman!" he roared.
Charlie sized up the disheveled "Aquaman." "My goal's simple. Where's Baasha?"
"I won't tell you!"
"What was that?"
Before Charlie could press, Arthur grabbed Namor's head, snarling, "No one defies Father's orders!"
Charlie: "…"
Why's my heart all warm and fuzzy? So thoughtful.
Of course, it was weirder that a youthful Spider-Man had a bearded son.
He patted Arthur's shoulder. "Easy, kid. You'll scare people."
"People?"
Arthur looked around. "Who's 'people'?"
Charlie grinned wider. "You're funny. Takes after me."
"Yes, Father. I want to be as great a god as you."
"You already are. Well, at least as strong inside as I am."
"Thank you, Father."
"You're welcome. Go play with your mommy."
"Got it!"
As Arthur stepped back, Charlie crouched to eye the defiant Namor.
"The Water Demon Baasha—her power's dangerous. She might solve your problems now, but she'll bring worse disasters later.
Okay, your face says I'm wasting my breath."
Seeing Namor unmoved, Charlie punched him square in the nose.
"Oh, shit!"
Namor cursed as Charlie kindly wiped the blood away, smiling. "If you don't talk, the invincible Spider-Man might just wreck this place!"
He gestured at the ruins and sea-dwellers, his smile turning menacing.
Namor's heart quaked. He was scared.
"Are all superheroes this dirty?" he growled.
Charlie shrugged. "Wipe out everyone here, and no one'll know how dirty Spider-Man plays."
Namor was speechless.
Atlanna covered her face. "Shit, that guy's back." She knew this wasn't the Spider-Man she recognized.
Arthur, meanwhile, was taking mental notes.
Father looks so badass right now. That's how a real man rolls!
In the end, for his people's sake, Namor caved.
He glared at Charlie. "I'll tell you, but you have to promise—"
Before he could finish, Corrupted Charlie's eyes flashed with a ghostly glow, peering into the deeper ocean.
"Hmph, trying to run now? Too late."
He smirked coldly. "Bro, grab her!"
"On it."
Charlie muttered to himself, then shot into the ruins' depths as a streak of golden light.
Soon, demonic chi flooded the seabed, undercurrents spiraling into an underwater tornado. A massive battle was inevitable.
Arthur, trident in hand, frowned at the terrifying vortex.
"Mother, Father just…"
Atlanna explained, "Yes, you're right. Your father's got a mental condition from too much stress."
"What?"
Arthur was shocked. "How? Too much stress?"
He stared at Atlanna. "Did you push him too far?"
Atlanna frowned. "No."
Arthur exploded, yelling, "It's definitely you! I knew it! You two were never in love. You drove Father away. All these years, you've been so overbearing. You don't love me or Father—you only love yourself! You're too much!!"
Atlanna froze, stunned.
"Do you know what you're saying?" she asked, face darkening.
Arthur scoffed. "Of course I do, Mother. Your act is straight out of a movie's evil queen playbook. I've seen through you. Stop pretending."
Atlanna's anger flared.
She glared at Arthur. "Tell me, what have you been doing in the human world?"
"Nothing! Just work. After hours, I only watch movies."
"I knew it."
Atlanna slapped him. "Little punk, right now, forget all that nonsense in your head and be a normal person!" she snapped sternly.
Caught off guard, Arthur clutched his head, furious. "Mother, I'm done listening to you! I want freedom! I want to be a real man!!"
Slap!
Another motherly smack landed on Arthur's face. He glared, but Atlanna pointed at his nose. "What's that look? Not happy?"
"Of course I'm not!"
"Then hit me."
"You think I won't?"
"Go ahead."
"I—"
Arthur raised his hand but couldn't bring it down.
His face burned with anger, but his mother's fierce eyes had already broken his nerve.
She wouldn't hit me again, right?
The thought barely crossed his mind before Atlanna grabbed his ear.
"Come on! Hit me! My dear son, kill me, and you'll be the next Aquaman. Why aren't you swinging?"
Arthur wilted completely.
"Easy, easy, dear Mother! I was joking! I'm sorry, I'm sorry~"
"Joking? You think you're funny?"
"I was copying Father!"
"Of all things to copy, you pick that? How many times have you even met him?"
Atlanna snatched his trident, kicked him over, and stomped him a few times with her skirt raised.
"Ow! Mother, stop! I'm sorry…"
Ignoring his cries, Atlanna unleashed a flurry of motherly punches.
"You want freedom? Wanna be a real man? Why're you crying? Tell me, still want freedom?"
"Ow~ Mother, I don't want freedom… sob I'll always be your little baby. I'm just a kid!!"
"What kid has a beard like that? I told you to shave, but you never listen. Your father doesn't even have a beard, and you, his son, dare to grow one? You're slapping his face! Shave it, now!"
"Sob My queen, I don't have a razor…"
"No razor after working so long? You deserve this!"
"Stop, sob I'll fight back!!"
"Fight back? Go on, hit me!"
"Mother, please, my teeth are falling out…"
"Stop crying! Real men don't cry!"
"I'm sorry…"
Arthur wailed, curled up as Atlanna asserted her evil-queen authority, showing Namor what a "united, loving family" looked like.
Namor quietly turned away, unable to watch the tragedy.
This family's just too full of life.
As Arthur endured his motherly baptism, the underwater currents surged into another tunnel, followed by a golden streak.
Shhhlrr~~
On the surface, the calmed waves churned again, tsunamis rising thousands of meters, threatening to flood Wakanda's coast.
In Wakanda's palace, T'Challa, witnessing this, sounded the alarm, and the nation erupted in panic.
"Oh no! Another one!"
"What monster is it this time?"
"The invincible Spider-Man will save us!"
"Look, it's Spider-Man! We're saved!!"
Amid the cheers, a golden streak broke the surface, charging the waves.
Above the waves, Baasha writhed, her serpentine body thrashing, octopus-like tentacles flailing, triggering explosive water columns to intercept the golden light.
"Damn you, die!!"
Baasha roared ferociously, but the water columns were shattered by golden energy blasts.
Boom~~
Shhh
The columns burst, and a torrential rain fell over the sea.
High above, the golden light hovered. The invincible Spider-Man's eyes blazed with red beams, sweeping the waves.
Zzt zzt~
Boom
Extreme heat spread, turning the sea into a misty veil.
In the fog, Baasha locked eyes with Spider-Man.
"You wretched thing, who are you?"
"Just a passing Spider-Man. Remember it!"
With that, Charlie raised a hand, and the Aquaman Trident shot from home into his grasp.
Hum!!
Zzt zzt~
As he swung the trident, the waves roared, golden lightning surging wildly.
The display shook Baasha. She unleashed her Water Demon chi, manipulating the sea into a colossal Water Giant.
The ocean inverted, exposing seabed reefs to the air—a stunning sight that left Wakanda speechless.
Xu Wenwu, who had just infiltrated Wakanda, could hardly believe such a terrifying monster existed.
"That's the Water Demon Baasha, my second sister," Shendu said gravely.
"Second sister?"
Xu Wenwu was shocked. "So Spider-Man's been targeting you all along."
Shendu confirmed, "Yes, and that's a problem."
"Should we save her?" Xu Wenwu asked.
"No. Her death would be better."
Xu Wenwu: "???"
"She's your sister!"
"So what? Demons don't do family."
Shendu was indifferent.
If he cared, he wouldn't have betrayed the Seven Demons back then.
For the first time, Xu Wenwu felt disgust for Shendu.
Family mattered to him, and Shendu's apathy repulsed him. But he still needed Shendu's power, so he stayed silent.
On the flip side, he was relieved Shendu wasn't intervening. It would've exposed their position and complicated their plans.
Xu Wenwu gazed at the terrifying Water Giant, pondering.
The peak power of a demon was this fearsome. So what about Shendu, the self-proclaimed strongest demon?
…
In the drained sea, the towering Water Giant loomed as Baasha smirked confidently.
She looked down at the tiny insect. "I don't know where you came from, but too bad—demonic power is beyond human comprehension. Die!!"
Her shrill roar echoed as the Water Giant raised a leg to crush the invincible Spider-Man.
Charlie calmly watched the descending water pillar, reaching into the void.
With magic came divine artifacts.
The Eight Immortals' relics, stored in the void!
Buzz~~
The moment Tieguai Li's gourd appeared, Baasha's pupils dilated, and the Water Giant froze.
"How… how is that possible? How does this world have that?!"
She screamed, trying to flee, but the gourd floated above her, ignoring distance.
Buzz~
Shhhlrr
The gourd's mouth hummed with water sounds, an invisible force locking Baasha in place. The Water Giant wailed, rapidly disintegrating.
Shhh~
Boom
The sea rushed back, submerging the reefs. Baasha's screams echoed, tormenting Wakanda's ears.
As people writhed in agony, the screeching stopped.
The churning waves calmed, and both the giant and the demon vanished.
"It's over."
Xu Wenwu stared, stunned. "What was that? It suppressed such a terrifying demon?"
"The power of the Eight Immortals," Shendu said darkly. "I didn't expect that bug to wield their artifacts. This is trouble."
"The Eight Immortals?"
Xu Wenwu pondered. "The legendary sea-crossing Immortals?"
"Yes."
Xu Wenwu's heart raced. "Eastern gods are real? How?"
He'd lived over a thousand years and never encountered these so-called Eastern gods.
The only confirmed god was Thor, who descended years ago.
If the legends were true, then…
Hope surged within him.
The Eastern gods could surely revive his wife.
No need for the unreliable Twelve Talismans.
Everyone knows demons can't be trusted.