Las Vegas, Sin City.
Billions of eyes around the globe converged on an arena of ultimate luxury and madness.
In the center of the live broadcast, Homelander stood atop a high platform, wearing a golden mask that covered the upper half of his face.
He spread his arms, basking in the global attention, reveling in the adulation mixed with fear and worship.
"Welcome to the new era!"
His morbidly magnetic voice echoed across the world.
"To promote friendly exchanges between Eastern and Western superhumans, I and my brand-new Seven will play a few games with the Huaxia Justice League."
"The first match is very simple."
"A duel of speed!"
"Please welcome the fastest man in the world—A-Train!"
"And his challenger, from the East... Evil God!"
...
The executives of Vought International crowded into the emergency command room, their eyes glued to the screens.
"We have to win! We must win this first match!"
"Don't worry, A-Train was injected with an enhanced version of Compound V. His speed is far beyond what it used to be."
"That knockoff superhuman won't even be able to catch a glimpse of his shadow!"
They placed their final chips on the blue-clad speedster who had once brought them massive wealth.
...
Huaxia, Supreme Command Center.
The atmosphere was heavy, with utmost seriousness written across every general's face.
"Although we have A-Train's speed data, he's been enhanced by the virus. There are too many variables."
"This is the first battle, and it concerns our morale..."
Only Ian, sitting at the head of the table, remained calm. He picked up his teacup and gently blew on it.
Looking at the eager Evil God on the screen, an imperceptible smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.
Yet, he also felt a bit bored, as if watching a dull play where he already knew the entire script.
...
In the arena, the starting gun fired!
Boom—!!!
A streak of blue light, like a cannonball fired from its barrel, instantly tore through the air!
A-Train transformed into an afterimage imperceptible to the mortal eye, sprinting madly along the designated track.
A series of white sonic booms exploded one after another behind him, unleashing deafening roars!
He even had the energy to look back, wearing a contemptuous and cruel sneer, wanting to admire his opponent's despairing expression.
However, in the next second, the smile on his face froze.
A streak of red-gold lightning had appeared by his side at some unknown point.
Evil God had his hands clasped behind his back, his posture leisurely, as if he wasn't in a life-and-death race but merely taking a stroll in his own backyard.
He kept pace with A-Train, wearing a teasing smile like a cat playing with a mouse.
The global live broadcast could only capture a red streak starting later but arriving first, subsequently overtaking the blue streak.
All the cheers for A-Train came to an abrupt halt.
A-Train's mind went completely blank.
'Impossible!'
'This is absolutely impossible!'
His proud speed, his pride as the "fastest man in the world," was being ruthlessly crushed by the other party at this very moment.
Intense humiliation and unwillingness filled his heart.
This extreme emotion resonated with the dormant Crossed virus inside his body.
"You..."
"Are too slow."
Evil God didn't open his mouth, but that cold and disdainful voice echoed directly in the depths of A-Train's mind like a magic spell.
This sentence became the final straw that crushed his sanity.
"Ahhhhh—!!!"
A-Train let out an unwilling roar.
On his face, blood-red cross-shaped blisters spread madly, rapidly connecting to form a complete cross.
He abandoned all running techniques and relinquished all protection over his body, squeezing out every ounce of his life, will, and the virus's power!
'Speed!'
'I just need more speed!'
Boom!!!
His speed surged once again, instantly breaking through the original limits of his body.
But the price came with it.
Under the extreme speed, his incredibly tough muscle fibers as a superhuman began to snap and tear apart inch by inch.
The skin wrapping his bones was peeled off by the violent air currents, tearing into a red mist of blood.
His flesh and blood, his internal organs, were all torn, worn down, and vaporized in this limit-surpassing speed, dissipating across the track!
The global audience only saw the blue lightning turn red-and-blue, followed by a sudden acceleration.
Afterward, through the slow-motion playback of ultra-high-speed cameras, they witnessed the most horrifying scene they would never forget for the rest of their lives.
On the track, a white skeleton burning with life and the power of the Crossed virus was sprinting madly forward, carrying only a few shreds of mangled flesh.
It was chasing the red-gold silhouette ahead, which remained forever out of reach.
After crossing the finish line.
Evil God slowly came to a halt, turned around, and quietly watched the skeleton charging toward him.
The playfulness in his eyes had long vanished, replaced by a complex emotion bordering on pity.
Whoosh—
A-Train's skeleton, carrying that final unyielding obsession, crossed the finish line.
Immediately after, under the immense momentum.
With a clattering crash.
The entire skeleton shattered into a shower of pale, broken bones.
The completely burnt-out skull rolled to Evil God's feet. Its two hollow eye sockets seemed to still stubbornly stare at the man who was faster than him.
Dead silence.
The entire arena, the entire world, fell into a deathly silence.
Fear spread through the hearts of the audience.
However, upon the high platform.
The Deep, along with the fallen heroes summoned by Homelander, watched their comrade's tragic death.
Instead of showing even a shred of fear, their eyes gleamed with a morbid, extreme excitement and bloodlust!
This extreme and tragic death further activated the dormant virus within their bodies!
"Heh..."
Homelander stuck out his tongue, slowly licking his dry lips, a look of extreme satisfaction appearing on his face.
This appetizer pleased him greatly.
He slowly stood up, ignoring the dead silence of the entire venue, and his voice once again echoed through the sky via the loudspeakers.
"What a... wonderful performance."
"Now then, let us begin the second match!"
"There can only ever be one overlord of the ocean!"
"Please welcome, The Deep!"
"And, the 'Sea King' from the East—Tian Hu!"
"Let them compete on their own stage!"
As his voice fell.
The ground in the very center of the arena slowly split open.
An incredibly massive glass channel filled with dark seawater slowly rose up like an abyss forged of crystal.
The interior of the channel connected to an even deeper, darker expanse of ocean.
The freezing seawater churned, brimming with unknown dangers and murderous intent.