Sollus flew backward, crashing through a massive section of mountains.
Cosmic Captain Spider-Man collapsed to the ground, gasping hoarsely like a drowning man rescued from water. He knelt, his body convulsing violently. After several deep breaths, he managed to lift his head and look at Malrick.
"Tha… thank you, Your Excellency."
As a messenger of Eternity, Cosmic Captain Spider-Man instantly recognized Malrick as an abstract entity.
"Are you here to help us?" he asked, still struggling to recover.
Malrick smiled faintly. "I came to find the Inheritor Family and to see an old friend, but he doesn't seem to be here."
He glanced at the large group of Spider-Men approaching from the other side.
"Your friend? Is he… an abstract concept?" Cosmic Captain Spider-Man asked, puzzled.
"No, the Spider-Man from Earth-616," Malrick replied.
"Oh, him. He went to other Universes to find more Spider-Man allies for us," the Cosmic Captain said.
Malrick's expression remained calm. "Is Your Excellency looking for the Inheritor Family to help 616 Spider-Man?"
"Not exactly." Golden light began to radiate from Malrick. "I simply intend to send the Inheritor Family to reunite elsewhere."
From a distance, Sollus roared, charging back. Malrick clenched his fist, wary even against such comic Universe powerhouses.
Although Sollus and Cosmic Captain Spider-Man had fought fiercely without destroying a planet or harming the Little Spiders, they were considered Universe-level threats. In comic settings, if such beings fully unleashed their power, they could even challenge Eternity.
Malrick activated his strongest state. His bio-field enveloped him, golden energy surged through his veins like a raging ocean, and every muscle tensed for maximum exertion.
He relied entirely on his physical strength, no rule powers. As half-Golden Superman, his body itself was a weapon.
Malrick charged Sollus. The distance between them collapsed instantly under the force of his steel-like body.
His fist connected with Sollus's face. There was no energy explosion, only the sheer impact of a solid strike.
Though it seemed light, it was like an entire Multiverse pressing down on Sollus. His face deformed, twisted, and shattered under the blow. He had no chance to react or counterattack.
Even as he roared in fury, Sollus's body, built to withstand Universe-level force, was pulverized into microscopic particles, merging with the earth itself. His life core was destroyed in a single strike. The bio-field contained the shockwave, erasing Sollus alone without disturbing the surrounding terrain.
Malrick flexed his fist slightly. "It's been a long time since I felt the full force of a punch… Not bad."
Since reaching the level of creation in understanding the world's rules, Malrick rarely fought with only his body. His physical strength had once been weaker than his rule powers, and using his body risked uncontrolled force.
He refused to fight like Wolf Superman, who had to let enemies strike first to gauge their level. But delivering a flat, full-power punch carried a thrilling satisfaction.
The Little Spiders of the comic Universe stared in disbelief.
"Hiss, he just killed Sollus like that?"
"That Sollus almost defeated Captain!"
"That punch… reminds me of the Hulk in our Universe."
"When 616 Spider-Man and Superior Spider-Man return, they're going to be terrified."
"Now that Sollus is gone, can we counterattack the Inheritor Family?"
Meanwhile, the surviving Inheritor members, Jennix and Daemos, who had been hiding, tried to escape quietly. Malrick merely glanced at them, and an invisible force erased them from existence.
"Sollus, Morlun, Daemos…" Malrick mused. He recalled how, in the comics, even when Spider-Men defeated the Inheritors, they were merely banished to ruined Universes, allowing them to return later.
This time, Malrick had destroyed their cloning factory and eliminated the main members. The Inheritors, hunters of Spider-Men, would never revive. The plot of over a dozen comic issues had been traversed in one decisive sweep.
"I'll go to their other Universes and reunite the peripheral members as well."
Malrick waved at Cosmic Captain Spider-Man and prepared to leave. Suddenly, space near them fluctuated, opening a blue-glowing portal.
It wasn't an Inheritor who arrived, but a large group of Spider-Men. Leading them was 616 Spider-Man from the Main Universe, whom Malrick had met years ago.
616 Spider-Man's eyes widened at the shattered ground and scattered Spider-Men. He scanned frantically for the Inheritor Family, but instead found Malrick.
"Malrick! It's really you!" he exclaimed, swinging on a web. "I didn't expect you here. Things in our world are chaotic, and I thought I'd never see you again."
Malrick nodded. "Long time no see, Peter. Morlun escaped to that Multiverse again. To prevent further trouble, I came looking for him."
616 Spider-Man's surprise shifted to relief. "So you're here to help us?"
Malrick shook his head. "Those Inheritors have already been…"
"Haha, Malrick, it's fine! The Inheritor Family is strong, but we've brought reinforcements!"
616 Spider-Man gestured toward the portal with pride. "Everyone, look who I brought back!"
---
