"Such a powerful divine energy fluctuation..."
The thought flashed through the Heart Demon's mind as his eyes narrowed. In that instant, he recognized the woman before him as an unprecedented threat. The arrogance and disdain in his gaze diminished slightly.
"You're not human."
From the moment he laid eyes on Wonder Woman, he had reached this conclusion.
The difference between gods and humans was vast, but the most glaring distinction was the overwhelming divine energy radiating from her.
For a demon, this sensation was particularly intense.
Moreover, the Heart Demon could not perceive her soul. It was as if her very essence was shielded by a being of immense, terrifying power.
"You hypocritical gods... have you decided to protect humanity again?"
He sneered.
Though he acknowledged Wonder Woman's strength, he remained unfazed. After all, he was not alone—he had three other demons by his side, outnumbering her.
As for the humans standing with her?
He ignored them completely.
The arrogance of demons lay in this very trait—they would submit to greater beings without shame, yet disregard those they deemed their equals. And as for humans, whom they considered weak and insignificant? They weren't even worth acknowledging.
"Hypocritical?"
Wonder Woman pointed her sword at the Heart Demon, her voice calm and unwavering.
"If anyone is hypocritical, surely no one surpasses you demons in that regard."
"I'll take that as a compliment."
The Heart Demon grinned.
"But flattery won't earn you mercy."
Whoosh!
The moment his words fell, he launched forward at astonishing speed, leaving behind blurred afterimages as he streaked toward Wonder Woman like a bolt of lightning.
The Rabbit Charm.
It granted its wielder immense speed, allowing them to accelerate beyond human limits. It enhanced the velocity of any object in motion and provided an unmatched burst of momentum.
At its peak, strengthened by ion cyclic energy, the Rabbit Charm could even break the very fabric of time—allowing the user to travel through space-time, surpass the speed of light, and slip through hyperspace wormholes.
Of course, the Heart Demon had not yet reached that level.
But he was still fast.
Faster than most beings could react.
Yet Wonder Woman remained unshaken.
As the Heart Demon closed in, she simply raised her wrists—
Clang!
Her Guardian Silver Bracelets collided, unleashing a devastating shockwave of divine energy.
BOOM!
The force surged outward like a tidal wave.
Caught mid-charge, the Heart Demon had no time to react. The shockwave struck him head-on, sending him flying backward like a ragdoll.
CRASH!
He slammed into a wall, embedding deep into the stone. Cracks spread outward like a spiderweb, reaching the ceiling. Chunks of debris tumbled down, dust filling the air—
A warning sign.
The building was about to collapse.
"Not good!"
Sheriff Black's expression shifted. "This whole place is coming down!"
"Run!"
Wonder Woman turned her gaze toward Black and the others.
"Leave now. I'll handle them."
Black hesitated for a moment, then made his decision.
"Understood. Please, Wonder Woman... you have to stop them."
With that, he signaled to his men.
"Fall back! No one stays behind!"
"Yes, sir!"
The officers cast one last glance at the battlefield. Their eyes lingered on Wonder Woman—
And in that moment, a spark of hope ignited within them.
Then they turned and sprinted toward the 13th District base.
Meanwhile…
Jackie Chan and Truu remained behind.
At this point, four of the twelve Talismans had already fallen into enemy hands—
Rabbit Charm Dragon Charm Tiger Charm Rat Charm
That left eight Talismans still in Jackie Chan's possession—
Ox (Super Strength) Snake (Invisibility) Horse (Healing) Sheep (Astral Projection) Monkey (Shapeshifting) Rooster (Levitation) Dog (Immortality) Pig (Heat Beams)
Two fighters, four Talismans each.
It wasn't an overwhelming advantage—but it was enough to fight back.
Jackie Chan clenched his fists.
"Truu!"
He gritted his teeth.
"You take the Snake, Pig, Rooster, and Sheep Talismans. I'll handle the rest."
"I have to work with Wonder Woman to defeat these demons. We can't let them deliver the Talismans to the Holy Lord!"
"Understood, don't worry, Jackie Chan."
Truu's expression grew serious.
He gripped the Talismans in his hand, activating the Snake Talisman, instantly vanishing from sight. Positioning himself in the shadows, he aimed a precise Rooster Talisman-charged energy blast at the three demons flanking the Heart Demon.
A water shield materialized in midair as the Water Demon reacted swiftly, raising his hand to block the attack.
Zzzzt!
Electricity crackled across the water's surface, sending ripples through the shield.
The Water Demon scowled, sensing the power shift caused by Truu's use of the Talismans.
Meanwhile, Jackie Chan engaged the Earth Demon in combat. He utilized the brute strength of the Ox Talisman, the regenerative power of the Horse Talisman, and the transformation abilities of the Monkey Talisman—shifting into different animals mid-battle to gain an edge. The Dog Talisman kept him at peak condition, allowing him to hold his own.
From the sidelines, the Wind Demon scoffed, arms crossed.
"Tch. You two are pathetic. Looks like I'll have to handle this myself."
Smirking, he launched himself toward Jackie Chan, who had just shifted into an eagle, soaring above the battlefield.
Jackie Chan's eyes widened.
Trouble.
BOOM!
A thunderous explosion echoed through the underground base.
Jackie turned his gaze toward the center of the battle—
The Heart Demon and Wonder Woman had reached their most intense clash.
Fueled by the power of the stolen Talismans and his own dark magic, the Witchy
Heart Demon unleashed a devastating surge of energy, reaching a level of power beyond his original capabilities.
"Do you think I intend to hand these Talismans over to the Holy Lord?"
He let out a dark, twisted laugh, his ambition burning like an unquenchable fire.
"No... If I can claim all twelve Talismans and merge them with my own magic, I'll be able to stand against my father himself. But I have no interest in ruling Hell..."
His eyes glowed with malevolent determination.
"I will become the ruler of Earth!"
A cruel smile stretched across his face as he fixated on Wonder Woman.
"Humans will bow before me... and you—"
His voice turned chilling.
"I will extract your soul and make you the first addition to my collection."
Wonder Woman's expression darkened.
A wave of revulsion swept over her.
"Disgusting."
Her grip tightened around the Godkiller Sword.
"You're the first person to make me feel this level of disgust."
Her voice was ice-cold.
With a flash of divine energy, she lunged forward. The Vulcan Sword in her hand erupted with a brilliant light, its divine power shaking the very walls of the underground base.
She slashed through the air, releasing a devastating arc of divine energy aimed directly at the Witch Heart Demon.
He raised his hand, summoning the Dragon Talisman's explosive power in an attempt to counter.
BOOM!
The impact rocked the entire base. The force of the explosion sent shockwaves in all directions, causing the walls to crack and debris to rain from the ceiling.
Outside the Base
Sheriff Black and his officers had just emerged from the entrance, sprinting toward safety.
Then—
RUMBLE!
The ground beneath them trembled violently, as if an earthquake had struck.
A shiver ran down Black's spine as he turned back toward the collapsing structure.
"This is... the battle of superhumans?"
His breath caught in his throat.
"Magic... supernatural powers... This world is getting crazier by the day."
Suddenly—
"Sheriff Black!"
A sharp, familiar voice rang out.
Black turned instinctively, his eyes widening in shock.
A large motorcycle roared to a stop in front of him.
Xiaoyu, Uncle, and... someone else?
Xiaoyu hopped off the bike, hands on her hips, eyes gleaming with determination.
"Sheriff, we brought backup!"
Black blinked.
"Wait, what? Xiaoyu, you need to leave! This is dangerous!"
Smack!
Uncle raised a hand and slapped Black on the forehead.
Black winced, rubbing the sore spot.
"You foolish boy! Do you even know who you're talking to?" Uncle huffed, shaking his head.
He turned toward the man sitting astride the motorcycle.
"Go, Johnny. Show them your power."
Black's confusion deepened.
His eyes flicked to the biker.
A chill ran down his spine as recognition dawned.
Johnny Blaze.
The Ghost Rider.
Black's stomach dropped.
"You've got to be kidding me..."
…
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