I Became Spider-Man's Cousin in Anime Crossover

Chapter 557 Riley: ...My fellow villager has possessed me?

"I said, I surrender! Whatever you want to know, I can tell you everything!"

When she spoke again, Amora's voice had a perfectly balanced nasal tone, like a wounded fawn begging for mercy from a hunter.

"This scepter is inlaid with the Mind Stone, one of the five Infinity Stones. The quest to seize the Iridium element and open the portal were both forced upon me by a mad Titan. He threatened to kill me if I refused!"

Her voice trembled slightly, carrying a perfect vulnerability in the words "kill me." It was as if she had truly been terrified by that Titan, and with nowhere else to turn, she had no choice but to gamble and seek help from her former enemy.

She held the scepter high above her head, the light from its tip reflecting in her tearful eyes, casting a soft, sorrowful blue glow over her entire face.

"I can write down the entire action plan. Including the Titan's next move, the Chitauri army's teleportation coordinates, and the correct way to use the Mind Scepter—this thing is a double-edged sword; if used improperly, it can backfire. I can teach you. Everything, unconditionally, I'll explain. As long as you—"

She sniffed, and tears rolled down her eyelashes, tracing a crystalline arc in the blue light of the Mind Gem before dripping onto the hem of her dark green evening gown, leaving a small, dark stain.

"Please save me, Spider-Man, I beg you."

After the string of words was spoken, the square was silent for a full three seconds.

Everyone present was just as bewildered as Riley, feeling like their brains weren't quite working properly.

An elderly woman with silver hair, dressed in an evening gown, stared blankly at Amora kneeling on the ground, then at Spider-Man, who stood frozen in place with his fist raised. Her lips moved, as if she were trying to understand what was happening before her eyes.

She was still clutching the shawl she had crumpled in fear, her knuckles white from the force.

After a brief silence, she turned to look at her husband, who was also standing there in a daze—an elderly gentleman in a dark blue suit and wearing a monocle—and found that his expression was exactly the same as hers.

They've lived most of their lives, experiencing war, economic crises, and countless regime changes. By all accounts, they should be used to all sorts of ups and downs.

But even the two of them combined had never experienced anything so absurd.

A strange woman with superhuman powers, who was giving a speech about "humans being born slaves" one second, is now kneeling on the ground, crying and surrendering to Spider-Man the next.

Even those who have watched Shakespearean plays for decades have never seen anyone dare to perform such a plot twist!

In this strange atmosphere, Riley slowly lowered his hand.

Or, to be more precise, it's not about withdrawing the fist...

It's the kind of fall where you've given up thinking and let gravity do the work.

His arm hung limply at his side, swaying twice in the air before stopping. Looking at Amora kneeling on the ground, tears streaming down her face, he opened his mouth, then closed it again, then opened it again.

"...Last time in New York, you tried your best to escape, and you never even mentioned surrendering to me then...Do you think I'd believe your lies?"

His voice was slow and heavy, both questioning Amora and talking to himself, trying to grasp Amora's true intentions from Amora's dramatic reversal of behavior.

"Because at that time, I was blinded by the generous rewards promised by that despicable Titan. It was a completely impulsive and rash decision!"

Amora sniffled, tears still clinging to her face, but her speech had returned to normal. She even turned around and offered the scepter in her hand to Riley.

"After finally escaping from your clutches, I recuperated for a long time, during which time I thought a lot." Then I realized that even Thor and Loki behaved respectfully in your presence. Continuing to oppose you would only lead to certain death!

"After finally escaping from your clutches, I recuperated for a long time, during which I thought a lot."

"What I can't understand the most is Thor and Loki."

"I can understand Thor—he's a brainless guy who calls everyone his brother."

"But Loki? The god of mischief, the master of lies, the most untrustworthy man in the Nine Realms. Yet, in your presence, he behaves with utmost respect, even using honorifics!"

As he spoke, Amora shook his head, as if marveling at something that was hard to believe even if he had seen it with his own eyes.

"So I've figured it out. Even Thor and Loki are completely subdued by you. If I, a weak woman with no power to even kill a chicken, continue to oppose you, I'll only face certain death."

As soon as he finished speaking, Amora raised the Mind Scepter a little higher, almost poking Riley's chin.

"So, I quit, I surrender. From today onward, I will abandon darkness and embrace the light."

Her tone suddenly became light, carrying a familiar slyness that made Riley's blood pressure rise instantly.

"That thing you people in Midgard like to do... what's it called again... movies, comics, novels, etc., isn't that the kind of plot you love the most? The villain gets redeemed, joins the protagonist's group, sacrifices himself at the crucial moment, and makes everyone cry... If you like this kind of plot too, can I give it a try? Trust me, I'm a very good actor, my fake death technique is no worse than that God of Mischief."

"..."

Riley remained silent, bowing his head slightly as he looked at the scepter of the mind held aloft.

Although the Mind Stone at the top of the scepter still shone brightly, Riley was certain that the energy emanating from it was stable and gentle, entirely a self-absorption of the Infinity Stone's energy, and utterly devoid of any aggression.

That's why Riley couldn't understand Amora's actions any better. His lips twitched, and he couldn't help but ask.

"...Amora, are you still a local? Or are you some fellow countryman who's had his soul replaced?"

"Huh? What do you mean?"

Amora blinked. Tears still clung to her eyelashes, but her face was filled with utter confusion.

Riley kept his eyes fixed on Amora's from beginning to end.

The pre-applied magical protection is sufficient to make one immune to mind control and not be influenced by any charm magic.

Therefore, Riley was certain that Amora's current expression of doubt was the most genuine emotion.

It was as if she genuinely didn't understand what "fellow villager" and "changed core" meant.

The problem is that her words and actions might be an act.

So Riley quietly switched languages ​​and asked a common question in fluent Chinese, specifically used to identify fellow countrymen.

"...Amora, I ask you, what is the next part of 'odd changes, even remains unchanged'?"

Upon hearing this, Amora frowned slightly, a moment of contemplation flashing in her green eyes.

But it wasn't the bewilderment of being stumped by the question; rather, it was the focused effort of retrieving relevant information from the memory bank.

Then, her brows relaxed, the corners of her mouth turned up slightly, and she answered in a matter-of-fact tone.

"The sign indicates the quadrant! That's way too easy!"

Riley's pupils contracted sharply, his expression shifting from wariness to shock, then from shock to ecstatic joy—"After all these years, I've finally met someone from my hometown!"—and then from ecstatic joy to utter despair—"But why you of all people!"

The entire emotional shift was like a collection of memes sped up ten times.

Thanks to the symbiote's transformed mask, Riley's true face was completely concealed, making him appear to be lost in thought, thus avoiding a public embarrassment.

But she couldn't help but move her lips and say in a complicated tone.

"...You can speak Chinese, and you even know the second half of the sentence... Amora, you really are...!"