Chapter Forty-Five: The Defenders' Alliance

Lady Gao’s death from exhaustion signaled the absolute end of the battle. The fight was over, and though this ought to have been a moment of joy, the five people standing beneath the Statue of Liberty were each lost in their own uncertainty.

For the Old Stick and Danny, the Hand had always been the enemy they were destined to confront; now that the mission was accomplished, there was a sense of satisfaction—but also a kind of aimlessness, not knowing what they should do next.

Matt, though brought into the fold by Gu Zhongyan from the very beginning, still didn’t fully understand much of what had transpired. Especially since Gu Zhongyan had never been able to admit he was a sorcerer at the start, and now, step by step, had grown so powerful he could destroy the Five Fingers of the Hand with ease—Matt found himself completely at a loss.

As for Jessica and Luke, there was even less to say. The two had stumbled into the battle confused, fought just as confusedly, and now found themselves gazing at the devastated Liberty Island with no idea what to say.

Compared to the five who were somewhat lost, Gu Zhongyan seemed far more at ease. Only after confirming that every member of the Hand was truly dead did he wave his wand, dissolving the magical protection around Su Yan, and walked over to him, now restored to his normal self.

“How do you feel? Are you alright? Any discomfort?”

Su Yan shook his head. “No, on the contrary, I feel great—like I’m even stronger than before.”

As he spoke, Su Yan waved his small fist; the gust he produced wasn’t overwhelming, but it was impressive for someone his age.

Gu Zhongyan wasn’t surprised. Although Su Yan hadn’t been transformed into a demonic vessel, the demonic power had still greatly enhanced his body. Whether he wished to study magic, or become a warrior like Matt and the others, he now had a far easier path than most.

“That’s good. Let’s go down; Matt and the others must be getting impatient.” With that, Gu Zhongyan reached out, took Su Yan’s hand, and with a flicker of “attendant manifestation,” they appeared before the five others.

As the two suddenly appeared, the group snapped back to attention. Matt, being the closest to them, was the first to speak.

“So, it’s over, right? The demon—he’s not coming back, is he?”

As he spoke, Matt instinctively “looked” toward the wand in Gu Zhongyan’s hand—the final resting place of the Beast.

The others, hearing this, all glanced over as well. Meeting their nervous gazes, Gu Zhongyan shook his head.

“Don’t worry—it’s all over. The Beast, the Hand—they’re finished.”

Only then did the group breathe a collective sigh of relief. Jessica, in typical fashion, exclaimed, “Thank goodness! If all this destruction still wasn’t enough, I don’t know what it would take. I mean, we’ve nearly leveled the Statue of Liberty! If we hadn’t all covered our faces, we’d probably be wanted nationwide by tomorrow.”

At her words, everyone instinctively glanced toward the statue. The enormous copper figure was scarred all over by the battle, especially the upper half, which was so twisted and battered it scarcely resembled the symbol of America anymore.

It wasn’t just the statue; the once-pristine land around Liberty Island was now in ruins. The lawns were shredded and patchy, like rags after a rough shearing—looked at from a distance, the place seemed abandoned for at least a decade.

As superheroes, they all possessed some degree of patriotic sentiment. Seeing the nation’s symbol in such a state, each of their expressions tightened.

“So, um, I wasn’t masked,” Danny suddenly piped up, raising his hand with an innocent look. “Will that be a problem later?”

He had only joined the fight midway, unlike the others who wore magical costumes crafted by Gu Zhongyan. But, looking at Danny’s scruffy beard, wild hair like a bird’s nest—a drifter’s appearance that not even his own mother could recognize—the group fell silent.

With a face and getup like that, masked or not, it hardly mattered.

Gu Zhongyan chuckled, “Don’t worry—no one’s going to recognize you. As for the damage here, you can relax—I’ll handle it.”

Turning, he walked toward the half-destroyed Statue of Liberty and raised his wand.

The group watched him with skepticism—until, in the next moment, they were utterly stunned by what they saw.

“Restore!”

With a flick of Gu Zhongyan’s wand, the ruins before them began to mend, as if time itself was running backward. The battered statue was restored piece by piece to its former glory—the dents from fists, the scorch marks from flames, all vanished as if nothing had ever happened. Once more, America’s symbol stood tall before their eyes.

The shattered ground, the pitted lawns—save for the fact that the dead did not come back to life and the burned plants did not regrow—even a microscope would fail to find a difference from before the battle.

“This—this, oh my god! That’s incredible!” Jessica gasped.

The group stared wide-eyed at Gu Zhongyan, unable to believe what they had just witnessed. Danny even pinched himself several times, only trusting the reality of the moment when he felt the pain.

“No wonder you insisted on fighting here. From the start, you’d planned on repairing everything afterwards, hadn’t you?” Matt mused aloud.

“That’s right,” Gu Zhongyan replied. “The toll of battles between superheroes and supervillains is always too high. Fortunately, I can restore everything—as long as it’s not alive.”

“If we were in the city center and there had been casualties, I’d be powerless to help.” Gu Zhongyan shrugged.

“That’s already incredible,” Jessica said sincerely. Luke nodded; as someone who excelled at destruction, he knew full well that restoration was far harder than ruin.

Clapping his hands, Gu Zhongyan smiled. “Alright, enough about that. The Hand is dealt with. So, what do you all plan to do next?”

Familiar with Gu Zhongyan’s style, Matt instantly grew wary, fixing him with a searching look.

“Isn’t it really about what you want us to do?”

“Can’t fool you,” Gu Zhongyan laughed. “Here’s the thing—even though the Hand’s gone, they were hardly the only threat in this world.”

“Mobs, demons, evil corporations—even aliens. There are too many dangers threatening this city, this world.”

“Today’s victory isn’t an ending—it’s a beginning.”

“If we want to protect this city and its people, we have to unite our strength.”

“So, I hope we can join forces and become the guardians standing behind this city—eliminating the threats lurking in the shadows.”

As he spoke, Gu Zhongyan offered them a deep, meaningful smile, his gaze profound.

“We shall become the League of Defenders who protect this world!”