New York, Times Square.
This place had long been submerged by the angry crowds of protesters.
Tens of thousands of citizens held high all kinds of slogans, converging into a vast sea of people. On a high platform, a fat man holding a banner that read "Registration Act Petition Group" shouted loudly with a manic expression:
"Arbiter, get out of New York!"
"Refuse tax hikes! Give me back my hard-earned money!"
"Support the Registration Act! Superheroes are not outlaws!"
"Take off the mask! Accept regulation!"
Every time he shouted a line, the protesting crowd at the scene responded with a line. The atmosphere became agitated to the extreme amidst the chants, and fanatical emotions spread through the crowd, like a grand religious ritual.
They firmly believed that they were the embodiment of justice and the representatives of public opinion, carrying out a great revolution.
However, none of them noticed what kind of bizarre change was taking place in the sky above their heads.
The first to notice something wrong was a television station cameraman who was doing a live broadcast. Through his lens, he accidentally swept across the sky, and his entire body instantly froze.
"That... what is that?"
Amidst his cry of surprise, the citizens raised their heads belatedly, and only then did they see that terrifying red crack, as well as the six figures slowly walking out from that crack.
They wore classical and gorgeous clothing, with arrogant expressions, as if they were gods inspecting their own territory. But what emanated from their bodies was pure killing intent capable of freezing even the soul.
The Inheritor family, descended!
Morlun, who was leading them, sniffed the scent in the air, an intoxicated and cruel smile appearing on his face:
"Should it be said that it is indeed a universe where Totems exist? The breath of life here is so vibrant that it is simply intoxicating."
The female Inheritor, Bora, looked down at the fanatically clamoring crowd of protesters below, her gaze just like looking at a herd of lambs waiting to be slaughtered:
"What are they shouting?"
"It doesn't matter," Daemos revealed a bloodthirsty smile. "Based on the experience I summarized from destroying hundreds of universes, as long as we carry out indiscriminate attacks on these fragile creatures, our delicacies will definitely jump out."
As soon as his words fell, Morlun dove down toward the most densely populated area below.
"Family members, I announce that the appetizer segment has begun!"
The moment the words fell, Morlun had already flashed into the crowd. His thrust-out right hand seemed to turn into the sharpest spear in this world; with just one strike, it pierced through the hearts of a full dozen or so people, skewering them into human meat kebabs.
"Boom!!!"
Daemos was unwilling to let Morlun steal the spotlight all by himself, so he followed closely behind and dove down. He landed right on the high platform in the center of that protesting group.
The fat man who was still holding sway on the high platform earlier had his head blown apart by a single punch from Daemos. Red and white matter sprayed wildly.
Time seemed to freeze at this moment.
The mountain-shaking and ocean-tsunami-like sounds of slogans came to an abrupt halt.
Everyone stared blankly at the six figures in the sky who looked like demon gods, and looked at the petition group leader who had lost his head and whose neck was still spraying blood on its own, only feeling their brains go completely blank.
In front of television screens, the viewers who were snuggling at home watching the live broadcast were also all dumbfounded.
"This... is this... a special effect?" a girl asked trembling.
The next second, the screams at the scene answered her question.
"Ah!!!"
The silence was instantly shattered, replaced by terror that spread like a plague!
"Monsters! Dammit, everything the Arbiter said was true!"
"Run! Run quickly!"
"Help! Someone save me!"
The crowd instantly exploded, and everyone was pushing, shoving, and trampling the people around them with all their might, just to escape this land of death.
The so-called "public opinion" and the so-called "justice" were fragile and incapable of withstanding a single blow in the face of the fear of death.
The slogan placards in their hands scattered all over the ground, trampled to pieces by chaotic footprints; the words "Arbiter get out of New York" on them appeared so ironic, so ridiculous.
The slaughter, began.
The Inheritors enjoyed this game of killing; every time they made a move, they would take away a dozen or so lives. And their actions were being faithfully transmitted to every corner of America through the live cameras and the footage captured by drones.
Everyone was dumbfounded.
Those people who were still mocking the Arbiter on the internet a few days ago for being "alarmist" felt cold all over at this moment, as if falling into an ice cave.
The crisis... had really come!
And it was faster and more cruel than anyone could have imagined!
A middle-aged white man who was originally dressed glamorously was currently falling onto the ground in a wretched state, his designer suit stamped with who knows how many footprints, and fragments of internal organs were faintly visible at the corner of his mouth.
Now, only one emotion remained in his heart, and that was regret. If time could be turned back, he was willing to offer all of his family's property to let the Arbiter build the defensive facilities that could protect the entirety of New York.
Unfortunately... there is no regret medicine in this world.
A mother holding her child fell to the ground in despair, watching a female Inheritor walking toward her with a cruel laugh, her eyes filled with endless remorse.
She remembered her own actions of posting online yesterday, cursing the Arbiter, supporting the Registration Act, and saying he was just being alarmist.
Now, she knew she was wrong, really knew she was wrong!
"I was wrong... I was really wrong..."
She sat paralyzed on the spot from fear, with only one thought left in her heart.
Someone save us...
Arbiter... superheroes, where are you all?
And opposite this mother and child, the Inheritor Verna had already raised her energy whip. She had finally grown tired of playing the cat-and-mouse game, so it was time to finish off these two weak humans!
Snap~
The whip tore through the air, making a loud snapping sound, and the mother and child sitting on the ground closed their eyes in despair at this moment.
But right at this critical juncture!
Swish~
A stream of dark gold light, as if tearing through space, arrived in an instant with a speed that surpassed the limit of visual capture!
Verna's expression changed abruptly; her instinct as a hunter made her feel a fatal threat. Without even thinking, she immediately reversed her offensive, making the energy whip in her hand turn to strike at this guy who was about to attack.
Clang~
The whip struck the black-and-gold armor, rippling with bizarre waves, but the masked man who was struck frontally on his body remained unmoved.
Instead, he raised his hand and punched Verna's body, sending her not-so-robust figure flying over a dozen meters away with a single punch.
The mother who had closed her eyes, waiting for death, waited for who knows how long, but never felt pain descend. She then carefully opened her eyes to a slit. Through this slit, she saw a tall and magnificent figure standing defensively in front of their mother and child.
A soft white light was currently glowing in this person's hand. Under the effect of this light, the wound on her son's knee healed instantly.
The iconic black-and-gold skull mask was clearly very sinister, but at this moment, falling into this mother's eyes, it was incomparably sacred.
It was the Arbiter!
He really came!
Even though they had once clearly opposed him and even uttered hysterical insults at him, when their mother and child fell into despair, he let go of past grudges to save them...
Slap!
Without any hesitation, this mother suddenly raised her hand and slapped herself hard on the face.
I was actually still doubting the Arbiter's intentions before?
Am I still a human being!
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