Chapter 40: The Lightsaber is Revealed for the First Time! A Gift from a Friend!
"Die?"
Peter sneered. There was a time when this monster would have terrified him, but not anymore.
With a powerful twist of his waist, he hurled Connors, who was grappling with him, straight into Venom, who was charging forward.
Bang!
Venom swung his arm, knocking Connors aside, and continued his relentless assault on Peter.
The battle escalated quickly.
Peter soon realized that his opponent was not only stronger than him but also incredibly fast.
"How is this possible?! My strength rivals that of the Female Knight! How can I be losing to a monster like you?!"
Unwilling to admit defeat, Peter slashed at Venom's chest with his claws. But the three deep gashes healed almost instantly.
"Heh… aren't you a monster too?"
Venom grabbed Peter's arm, spun him around, and slammed him into the ground with enough force to crack the pavement.
Within moments, Peter was at a disadvantage, pinned down and taking a brutal beating.
Meanwhile, Connors, though enraged by Peter's sudden betrayal, chose not to join the fight. Instead, he continued to tinker with the launch device, determined to complete his mission.
To him, nothing was more important than that.
"Well, well, looks like I arrived just in time!"
A voice rang out as Jessica finally managed to arrive a step ahead of Gwen. She landed gracefully, skidding slightly as she touched the ground.
The friction from her landing kicked up a small cloud of dust.
"Ugh... my new shoes..."
She bounced on her feet twice, feeling the worn soles. "If I had known, I wouldn't have raced Gwen here. We didn't even have time to brake properly."
"Jessica!"
Peter recognized the voice immediately.
Seizing the moment, he grabbed Venom by the neck and pried open its gaping maw, preventing the monstrous tongue from snapping at him.
"Stop Connors! He's trying to turn everyone in the city into lizards! You don't want that to happen, do you?!"
"Connors? Turning the whole city into lizards?"
Jessica's gaze flickered to Connors. "Wait… that lizard man is Dr. Connors? Is what this yellow-eyed lizard guy saying true?"
Then, she turned her attention to Peter, who was still entangled with Venom. "Also… you know me? What's even happening right now?!"
There was too much information at once. Jessica struggled to process it all. She wasn't sure whether she could trust this green-eyed lizard.
And what was this black creature wrapped around him? It didn't exactly scream 'hero.'
"I'm Peter!"
Peter gritted his teeth and revealed his identity. "Peter Parker! Your classmate! Now go stop Connors!"
"Peter?! Oh my god…"
Jessica instinctively covered her mouth in shock, even though she was wearing a mask.
First, Connors being the Lizard was a shocking revelation. But now her classmate Peter was also transformed?
"Jessica, don't just stand there! Stop Connors first! Peter is probably telling the truth!"
Gwen had just arrived and quickly assessed the situation. She shot a web onto a rooftop spire and swung toward Connors.
Suddenly—!
Connors, who had just finished assembling the launch device, heard the sound of rushing wind.
He turned his head—
WHAM!
A perfectly aimed whip kick struck him across the face.
Recovering quickly, Gwen shot another web, using it to reposition herself in midair. Her agile movements resembled a ballet dancer, weaving through the battlefield with effortless grace.
Connors, caught off guard, found himself overwhelmed as Gwen bombarded him with webbing.
"Why is everyone trying to stop me?!"
Connors roared, thrashing wildly, his claws swiping at the webbing.
But Ethan Lee had enhanced the web formula, making it significantly stronger and more adhesive. Even with all his might, Connors struggled to break free.
"Nice work, G—Ghost Spider! Now's my chance!"
Jessica seized the opportunity and dashed toward the launch device. As she ran, she reached for the straps on her thigh, pulling out a pair of silver brass knuckles.
She spun one around her index finger before slipping it onto her hand.
Then, she swung.
Ding!
The impact left a dent in the launch device.
"Wow, this thing is sturdy."
Jessica flexed her wrist, preparing to throw another punch.
"Jessica, be careful!"
Gwen warned as she landed nearby, sliding to a stop. "Don't accidentally activate it!"
She reached into her waist pouch and pulled out a small black cylindrical object, handing it to Jessica. "Try this instead. Ethan gave it to me. Just make sure you don't hold it upside down."
"Don't hold it upside down?"
Jessica raised an eyebrow, holding the object horizontally as she pressed the activation switch.
Sizzle—!
A beam of azure light erupted from one end, extending into a meter-long blade of pure plasma. The air around it crackled softly with energy.
"Wait… is this…?"
Jessica's eyes widened.
Sliding the brass knuckles back into her thigh straps, she gripped the glowing weapon firmly and swung it down at Connors' launcher.
Slice!
The blade passed through the device like a hot knife through butter. Sparks flew as the launcher split cleanly in two, crackling with dying energy.
"Oh. My. God. It's a lightsaber!"
Jessica barely contained her excitement, staring at the glowing weapon in her hands.
Then, realization hit. "Wait… where did you even get this thing?!"
Gwen tilted her head slightly. "Ethan said a friend gave it to him."