"Gibson!"
"How… how could this happen!"
Several exclamations echoed across the battlefield. Coldblood and the other Desperado Warriors were equally shaken.
They glanced at the fallen head of their comrade on the ground, and any semblance of calm instantly vanished.
As Desperado Warriors themselves, no one understood their power better than they did.
Of course, no one knew their weaknesses better either.
They knew that if a Desperado Warrior's head was severed, even with the incredible self-healing—or rather, regeneration—granted by the Desperado Virus, it would be futile.
This wasn't an exaggeration. The virus truly allowed limb regeneration.
Yet even so, a decapitation was absolute.
Death. Final. Irrevocable.
The key point: with the formidable combat skills of a Desperado Warrior, how could anyone so easily sever a head in modern warfare?
And yet… here it had happened.
Who exactly was this figure in the flashy uniform and mask?
Swish!
In an instant, Coldblood and the other Desperado Warriors' eyes all fixed on Zhou Cheng.
This guy didn't even carry a weapon.
How had he managed to decapitate Gibson in such a short time?
"You killed Gibson!"
"You bastard!"
A furious roar broke the brief silence. It came from another Desperado Warrior, one close to Gibson, who charged at Zhou Cheng like a mad beast.
Zhou Cheng glanced at him casually and waved a hand.
"No!"
The other's pupils constricted violently. An overwhelming sense of dread surged through him.
The masked man's distant hand wave seemed strange at first—but the direction of the gesture was unmistakably aimed at his neck!
And with Gibson's bloody fate already displayed, there was no room for hesitation.
He dodged with lightning speed.
One had to admit, the reflexes of a Desperado Warrior were top-notch—Zhou Cheng silently admired them.
Even in such circumstances, their alertness allowed them to respond effectively. Six-six-six!
You deserved to survive that blow.
Shhh!
The next moment, the sound of flesh being sliced rang out.
The Desperado Warrior had dodged the lethal strike, but his left arm was severed at the shoulder.
Clatter.
The severed limb dropped to the ground, staining the floor with fresh blood.
Crack, crack, crack!
Energy surged at the stump, and a new arm rapidly regenerated.
Captain America and the other Avengers shuddered.
These enhanced warriors were terrifying—their limbs could regenerate so quickly, let alone withstand other forms of damage.
Even more frightening was Zhou Cheng himself: the silent, invisible slashing strikes he could unleash at will, unstoppable and undetectable.
The Avengers realized that if such an attack hit them, their heads might be gone in an instant.
Terrifying. Truly terrifying.
"So this is what Satan's capable of…"
Even those who didn't know Zhou Cheng personally—like Captain America or Red Guardian—were stunned.
Even Tony and Black Widow, who knew some of his background, were taken aback.
As for Coldblood and the other Desperado Warriors, seeing Zhou Cheng's moves firsthand left their scalps tingling with fear.
A mere wave of the hand to decapitate someone?
This man was the real ace.
"Johnson, Dave, Alice, block the others. The rest, with me, attack him!"
Coldblood, Klien's top lieutenant, made the judgment immediately.
To take down someone of Zhou Cheng's caliber, they had to use superior numbers—or face certain death.
Swiftly, he issued orders to the remaining warriors.
Swish, swish, swish!
The Desperado Warriors sprang into action.
Two men and a woman moved to block the other Avengers, while Coldblood personally led four warriors, charging at Zhou Cheng from four directions.
"Satan!"
Captain America muttered, gripping his shield and charging forward, attempting to break through Johnson's blockade to aid Zhou Cheng.
The others intended the same.
But the Desperado Warriors' combat skills were overwhelming.
Even three of them were enough to stop the Avengers entirely.
Even Tony Stark, flying above, was blocked.
Whoosh!
Tony leapt into the air to assist Zhou Cheng, but one warrior sprinted, springing off the ground like he had springs in his feet, rising over five meters, and struck a devastating punch.
Bam!
Tony crashed to the ground.
No one could aid Zhou Cheng; the Avengers could only watch as Coldblood and his four warriors pressed their attack.
Could Satan handle four Desperado Warriors at once?
His techniques were formidable, yes—but four skilled warriors, all aware of his abilities, were hard to counter.
They dodged and weaved like monkeys, making it even more difficult.
But they didn't know Zhou Cheng's true methods.
They assumed numbers would save them. How naive.
Beneath the mask, Zhou Cheng smirked. Calmly, he extended a hand toward Coldblood and the others.
Silent, invisible force gripped the four warriors.
Swish, swish, swish, swish!
The Avengers watched in awe as the four Desperado Warriors were lifted into the air, suspended as if caught by an invisible hand.
"What the…?"
The warriors' eyes widened in disbelief.
"What did you do?" Coldblood demanded, fear creeping into his voice.
Zhou Cheng ignored them, lightly waving his other hand.
Shhh, shhh, shhh, shhh!
Four heads flew into the air.
When Zhou Cheng withdrew his power, the headless bodies fell to the ground. Silence.
The battlefield went quiet.
Whether Avengers or the remaining Desperado Warriors, everyone was shaken to the core.
Four warriors dead—without Zhou Cheng even approaching them.
God… what kind of demon was this man?
gulp
Johnson and the others could no longer stay calm. Their gazes at Zhou Cheng were filled with pure terror.
They had survived the Desperado Virus and thought themselves formidable—even the Destroyers were no threat.
But before the masked man, they were helpless lambs.
"This guy… he really is Satan!"
Red Guardian muttered, realizing why Zhou Cheng bore that name and why Nick Fury personally brought him in.
He truly was insane.
Tap, tap, tap!
In the quiet, Zhou Cheng walked leisurely toward the remaining three Desperado Warriors.
Each step changed their expressions.
To them, Zhou Cheng was the ultimate villain.
The Avengers? They could just stand back and watch.
"Satan!"
Only Black Widow reminded him, "Leave a few alive. Don't kill them all."
This was Fury's direct order. Black Widow assumed her commander had given the same guidance to Zhou Cheng.
Even if he got carried away… Fury couldn't intervene.
"Where is Klien?" Zhou Cheng asked, ignoring Black Widow, scanning the remaining warriors with a casual tone.
But even that brought immense pressure.
"Die!" Johnson gritted out, trembling but defiant.
Zhou Cheng didn't hesitate.
With a simple swipe, Johnson's head was severed.
"And you?" Zhou Cheng's gaze moved to another.
The warrior's breathing grew rapid.
"I don't know! Klien only ordered us to stop you. We don't know where he went!"
The explanation seemed truthful.
"Found him!"
Before further confirmation, Tony's systems accessed the base network, hacking and controlling the central system, locating Klien.
Swish!
Projections appeared before the Avengers, clearly showing Klien and two other Desperado Warriors.
Perfect!
Zhou Cheng immediately dispatched the remaining two Desperado Warriors before anyone could protest.
"Hurry!"
Captain America shouted.
The Avengers, acting on Tony's coordinates, pursued, finally cornering Klien and his two companions in the parking lot near the lab.
"Honestly, I'm surprised Savin didn't stop you," Klien said calmly, removing his expensive suit jacket, ready to fight.
"It's a shame, because next, you face me!"
Klien charged, flanked by the last two Desperado Warriors.
Swish, swish, swish!
Suddenly, all three were lifted into the air, struggling helplessly.
The Avengers turned instinctively, seeing Zhou Cheng's hand extended toward them.
"Satan!"
Black Widow panicked. These were the last Desperado Warriors; if they died, none would remain.
"Leave them alive? Got it!" Zhou Cheng replied calmly.
This time, he didn't decapitate them. Instead, he sealed their mouths and noses midair.
They struggled briefly, then passed out from asphyxiation.
When Zhou Cheng released them, they fell lifeless to the ground.
Black Widow quickly injected the last Desperado Warriors with sedatives.
Finally, the task was complete.
Well… almost. Nick Fury had secretly assigned Black Widow one more task: copy all data on the Desperado Virus.
For her, this was no trouble.
The Avengers still had some cleanup work, but Zhou Cheng had finished his mission.
"I'm leaving first!"
With a sweep of his wings, Zhou Cheng shot into the air like a giant bird, vanishing in an instant.
"He can fly? No wonder they call him Satan!"
Red Guardian, Captain America, and Hawkeye couldn't hide their astonishment.
Zhou Cheng's battle against the Desperado Warriors left an indelible impression.