"Not even able to crawl like a lizard?"
"Arrogant!"
The Lizard paused for a moment before roaring and charging forward.
Whoosh!
He had no real combat technique—just brute strength and razor-sharp claws from his transformation.
Even so, those claws could slice through reinforced metal doors like butter. No ordinary superhuman could withstand them.
Sora Yukihara wasn't foolish enough to test that.
With a light backward leap, he easily avoided the attack. The Lizard's claws carved straight through a nearby car roof.
"What are you even aiming at?"
The Lizard swung his tail—but still couldn't reach Sora Yukihara.
"Alright, enough dodging."
Sora Yukihara cracked his neck. "If I have to keep dodging trash like you, what kind of 'expert' would that make me? Time to teach you a lesson."
As he spoke, dozens of nearly invisible threads shot out from his hands. With a slight motion, they twisted together, forming a thick, rope-like whip.
Then—
He swung it.
Enraged, the Lizard didn't think—he simply lunged forward, claws outstretched, ready to tear Sora Yukihara apart.
"Go!"
The thread whip lashed out, striking the Lizard square in the face.
Crack!
The impact sent him flying back with a scream.
The Lizard hadn't lost his sense of pain.
Sora Yukihara's strike was strong enough to crack concrete walls—far beyond what his bullet-resistant skin could endure.
This was Doflamingo's technique—
Overheat.
It involved extending the arm backward to build momentum, then unleashing a devastating strike capable of slicing through massive structures.
Sora Yukihara, however, limited the whip to three meters.
Even so—
The power was more than enough.
The Lizard rolled on the ground, barely dodging the follow-up strike.
But the car behind him wasn't so lucky—it was sliced clean in half.
"Not bad. Pretty agile."
Sora Yukihara gave a brief nod of acknowledgment.
Then—
He swung again.
This time, the Lizard sidestepped smoothly, having adapted to the attack pattern.
He even attempted a counterattack.
But—
The whip suddenly changed direction.
In an instant, it wrapped around his ankle.
With a flick of Sora Yukihara's fingers, the threads tightened, spiraling rapidly until the Lizard was completely bound.
In less than a second—
He was immobilized.
Flick!
Sora Yukihara snapped his finger.
A thin, high-speed thread shot out like a bullet—
Piercing straight through the Lizard's shoulder.
"AAARGH!"
The Lizard screamed.
He could withstand bullets—but this was even more lethal.
"Nice."
Sora Yukihara nodded in satisfaction.
Simple. Direct. Like a gun.
Though it consumed energy and required precision, it was undeniably effective.
The Lizard struggled violently, trying to break free.
But Sora Yukihara wasn't about to let him.
Another flick.
The thread pierced through his heel.
Now, even with regeneration, he wouldn't be moving properly anytime soon.
Sirens wailed in the distance.
"Terrible timing…"
Sora Yukihara frowned.
He quickly reinforced the binding with another layer of threads.
Then—
He lifted the Lizard into the air and flew off.
The arriving police officers hadn't even stepped out of their cars yet.
They could only watch in stunned silence as Sora Yukihara carried the monster away.
From the window, Aunt May witnessed everything.
Her heart surged with hope.
With someone like Sora Yukihara—
There was no doubt.
He could bring Peter and Ben back.
An abandoned construction site in the outskirts of New York.
Boom!
Sora Yukihara slammed the Lizard onto the ground.
More than an hour had passed since capturing him—
Yet he hadn't reverted to human form.
That didn't match what Sora Yukihara remembered.
"Still resisting?"
Sora Yukihara was already irritated—now even more so.
Crack!
The whip struck the Lizard's head, knocking him unconscious.
"Annoying creature."
Sora Yukihara stepped on his head and dialed Tony.
After a long delay, Tony answered.
"Where are you?" Sora Yukihara asked.
"I found the evidence," Tony replied. "I was just about to ask how to deal with it."
After returning, Tony had pretended nothing happened—but secretly investigated.
He needed solid proof before acting against Obadiah Stane.
Otherwise, it would backfire.
Sora Yukihara said impatiently, "You're a grown man—make your own decision. If you hate him, destroy him completely. If not, let him retire peacefully."
"…You sound like you're in a bad mood."
Tony hesitated.
Sora Yukihara shot back, "If your friend—your subordinate—got kidnapped, would you be in a good mood?"
"…Fair point."
Tony didn't hesitate. "Tell me—what do you need?"
Sora Yukihara asked, "Do you know anything about cross-species genetic research?"
"I've studied it."
Tony's answer was vague.
"Be specific—"
"Ah—!"
The Lizard woke up.