"Of course I don't like it."
Dr. Banner answered almost reflexively, the words slipping out before he could stop them. But the moment they left his mouth, something in his expression shifted, and caution crept back in. His eyes narrowed slightly as he began to piece together what had just happened.
Only a second ago, he had been pinned down by that colossal hand in the sky, completely unable to move. And now, he was standing in this strange, oppressive space, surrounded by something that felt far more dangerous than anything outside.
The man in front of him… was not someone he could trust.
"Let me out!" Banner suddenly surged forward, grabbing the man by the collar with both hands, his voice sharp and tense. His movements were quick, driven by instinct, but there was a clear edge of desperation beneath them.
"Relax, my friend," the man replied casually, as if the situation meant nothing at all.
But Banner didn't relax.
If anything, he grew even more agitated.
"My companion, this reaction truly disappoints me," Liam said with a faint shake of his head, his tone almost regretful. There was no anger in his voice, but the calmness only made it more unsettling.
"Perhaps I need to teach you something… so you understand reality a little better."
He snapped his fingers.
The sound echoed sharply.
In the very next instant, the empty, desolate space around them twisted and reshaped itself. What had once been nothingness was replaced by something far more horrifying—a prison.
Ancient torture devices stood in front of Banner, their rusted metal surfaces stained with the weight of history. Behind him, more modern instruments loomed, their cold, clinical designs no less terrifying. The tiger bench, the operating table, the gallows—tools of suffering from different eras, all gathered into one place.
"We have plenty of time," Liam said with a shrug, his tone almost conversational. "We can take this slow."
The chill in his words cut deeper than any blade.
Before Banner could react—
A scream tore through the space.
Pain.
Unrelenting, unbearable pain.
The Tsukuyomi space was absolute. Once someone's consciousness was dragged into it, everything within became subject to the caster's will. Time could be stretched, suffering could be repeated endlessly, and there was no escape until the one in control decided otherwise.
Banner had never experienced anything like it.
He had been a scientist, an ordinary man who had been transformed by an accident into something monstrous. His tolerance for physical pain, for psychological torture—it was nowhere near enough for this.
After just the second cycle, he collapsed to the ground.
His face was pale, his body trembling, his mind teetering on the edge of collapse.
Liam looked down at him and raised his hand slightly, as if adjusting something unseen.
Then he asked, almost gently, "If I could help you reunite with your girlfriend… or even allow you to reconcile with her properly… would you be willing to leave S.H.I.E.L.D.?"
"I… I…"
Banner's voice shook.
The image formed instantly in his mind—Betty. Her face, her voice, the life he had been forced to abandon. For a moment, the pain faded, replaced by something else entirely.
Hope.
At first, he had doubted this man. Someone with this kind of power, appearing out of nowhere, making impossible claims—it should have been unbelievable.
But after experiencing that kind of pain firsthand…
Doubt began to crumble.
"Tell me your plan," Banner said finally, his voice hoarse but steady.
"I can seal Hulk's soul," Liam replied without hesitation, interest flickering in his eyes. As he spoke, the intricate pattern of the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan reappeared, spinning slowly, radiating an eerie, hypnotic presence.
"ROAR!!!"
The sound exploded through the space, violent and ancient, like something rising from the depths of a primordial abyss. It carried with it an overwhelming sense of fury, raw and untamed.
"It's Hulk…" Banner whispered, his expression shifting as recognition set in.
The conflict within him deepened.
Life at S.H.I.E.L.D. hadn't been bad. They had given him resources, protection, a place to exist. But it hadn't given him what he truly wanted.
Control.
Every time his emotions spiked, he lost himself. Every time he transformed, he became something he couldn't fully command. Even something as simple as being close to the person he loved had been taken away from him.
He didn't want to be a hero.
He just wanted his life back.
His gaze drifted, unfocused, as longing filled his eyes. The thought of seeing Betty again, of standing in front of her without fear, without losing himself—
It was enough.
"Now," Liam said, his voice cutting through the silence, "what's your answer?"
Banner took a slow breath.
"My answer… is yes."
He gave in.
Desire outweighed everything else.
He didn't care if the man in front of him was a devil, a monster, or something worse. If this was the price he had to pay to reclaim even a piece of his life, then so be it.
As for S.H.I.E.L.D.?
He had only just joined. There was no loyalty there.
—
"We have to trust Banner."
Back in the real world, the Avengers still watched the sky, tension written across every face. Despite everything that had happened, there was still hope that their newest member could turn things around.
—
"Celestial Art: Golem Shackles!!!"
Liam's hands moved in precise, fluid motions as he formed a series of seals. Behind him, a surge of purple energy erupted, and from within it, a massive, ethereal figure emerged—the Gedo Statue.
Chains of chakra burst forth, piercing into the ground before snapping upward, wrapping around their target with unstoppable force.
Hulk.
Even in his enraged state, even as his power surged, he was dragged into the air, bound tightly by the chains that coiled around his body.
"Dr. Banner," Liam said calmly, his gaze steady, "clear your mind and don't resist. If you interfere, not only will the seal fail—you'll lose your mind completely."
Banner didn't hesitate.
He nodded rapidly, then closed his eyes.
The next moment, the chains drove forward, piercing through his abdomen with brutal precision.
Pain exploded through his body.
Banner trembled violently, every muscle tightening as the sensation overwhelmed him. But he didn't move, didn't resist, clinging desperately to the instructions he had been given.
He couldn't afford to fail.
Seconds passed.
Then, just as suddenly as it began, the pain faded.
Liam's movements were swift and controlled, completing the final phase of the seal without hesitation. The energy converged, locking something deep within Banner's lower abdomen.
"Is it… done?" Banner asked weakly.
"Perfectly," Liam replied, a faint hint of satisfaction in his voice. "Better than expected."
He studied the result for a brief moment, clearly pleased.
"From now on, even if you want to transform… you won't be able to."
The implications were enormous.
Once sealed by this technique, even a tailed beast wouldn't be able to escape. Hulk, despite his overwhelming strength, was no exception.
This wasn't just a victory.
It was a surgical removal of one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s greatest assets.
Banner himself didn't fully understand what he represented, but Liam did. In the future battles the Avengers would face, only a handful of them could function as true strategic weapons.
Thor.
And Hulk.
Now, one of them was gone.
Let's see what those so-called heroes do now.
—
In the outside world, the transformation was immediate.
As Banner regained control, the overwhelming presence of Hulk began to recede. The massive, towering form shrank rapidly, muscles contracting as the green faded, returning him to his human state.
His expression changed instantly.
Panic.
The demonic hand that had been holding him dissolved, its grip vanishing without warning.
Banner dropped.
He screamed as gravity took over, his body plummeting from the sky before slamming into the ground with a heavy impact. The force sent a shock through his entire body, and a sharp crack followed as his ankle twisted unnaturally.
Pain shot up his leg, causing him to collapse immediately.
—
From the side, Peter watched it all unfold.
A sense of satisfaction flickered within him as he saw his former opponent reduced to such a miserable state. But when he turned his gaze toward the figure hovering in the air, that feeling shifted.
Caution.
Respect.
"Hello… mysterious and powerful sir," Peter said, his tone noticeably more restrained than before. "I'm Peter Parker. Thank you… for saving me."
He paused briefly, then added with a grin, "And for giving those guys a proper beating. That was incredible."
Almost immediately, a familiar sound echoed in Liam's mind.
[Ding! Congratulations, host, for completing Spider Demon's Fury. Rewards are being calculated.]
[Ding! Congratulations, host, you have obtained Jackie Chan Adventures: The Shadows.]
[Ding! Peter's respect and fear toward you have increased significantly. Reward multiplier applied.]
[Ding! Congratulations, host, you have obtained Naruto: Hundred Healings Technique – Super Strength.]
[Ding! Congratulations, host, you have obtained the Naruto character Kurama.]
.....
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