Zemo knew that during the day, Red Skull set up an ambush for Captain America, consisting of just a few hundred men, and used energy rifles to force Captain America into retreat.
Based on this, he devised tonight's tactics, hoping for the same outcome as during the day.
However, it now appeared that things were not that simple!
Captain America was unharmed, and these soldiers could not stop him at all!
Watching as one Hydra soldier after another turned to ash on the battlefield, while Captain America remained unfazed even after being hit a few times, Zemo felt a bit anxious.
The situation differed from the plan; he intended to retreat first, and next time, he would prepare more men and bring heavy weaponry.
However, just then, Red Skull grabbed him, his iron grip firmly on Zemo's arm, without even glancing at him, his eyes still fixed on the battlefield.
"Do you want to face Captain America?"
"Yes."
Red Skull's response was still so concise; tonight, he seemed to have transformed into a man of few words.
Zemo steadied his mind; since that's the case, he decided to stay and watch. After all, Red Skull had proven in the past capable of holding his own against Captain America.
As long as he could launch a surprise attack from the side, there was still a chance.
Zemo halted his retreat and stood with Red Skull once more.
Below the execution platform, Su Ming had already exhausted the energy of several weapons, and his armor had more than a dozen holes in it. Yet his desire to kill had soared, and he felt no pain at all.
He focused more on keeping himself from going berserk and suppressing various bizarre urges for strangulation.
A few minutes later, he had taken down about four hundred Hydra soldiers and was standing atop a pile of corpses, level with the execution platform, staring at Red Skull and the others.
Red Skull seemed lost in thought, looking into the distance, while Zemo beside him appeared restless and uncertain.
The hostages behind them displayed expressions of joy; at this moment, a miraculous survival didn't suffice to describe their feelings. Captain America was like an angel descending.
Red Skull, dragging Zemo, leapt directly from the execution platform, charging together towards Su Ming.
"Captain America! Today is your day of death!" Zemo drew his thrusting sword, shrieking in charge. However, suddenly, his tone altered. "Schmidt? What are you doing? Let me go! Quickly!"
It turned out Red Skull had grabbed Zemo during the charge, the two of them hurling over like stones.
Red Skull moved quickly, covering the forty-odd meters between them in what seemed like just a few steps.
"Something's wrong!"
Su Ming immediately grew alert; Red Skull now appeared completely reckless, not like his usual self at all.
He promptly retreated at full speed.
However, at this moment, Red Skull, who had only uttered "um" all night, spoke the longest sentence yet this evening.
"Hail Hydra!"
In the next instant, Su Ming's vision was engulfed by a blue light, a strong gust erupted, and a peculiar suction began pulling him towards the epicenter of the explosion.
Fortunately, with Strangulation and his cloak's presence, although the cloak was much smaller, its strength was undiminished, it frantically pulled Su Ming away from the force.
Strangulation simultaneously split more tendrils from Su Ming's legs, attempting to escape further away.
Su Ming shielded himself with Godslayer, taking on the energy outburst. The symbiote on the shield began to melt, the powerful energy vaporizing part of its body.
This pain clearly reflected in Su Ming's mind, but he now focused solely on quickly escaping the explosion's center.
Immediately, a black mist surfaced from the blue light, drifting eerily like smoke. However, these black smokes caused Su Ming no trouble; he successfully escaped unharmed.
Yet, the nearby German soldiers weren't as fortunate.
Some Hydra soldiers with better luck, merely losing limbs and passing out, in the fleeting moment the black smoke dispersed, seemed to lose all body moisture, their faces frozen in horror, turning into piles of black ash.
Even those previously killed by the shield vanished completely upon contact with this eerie smoke.
Su Ming freed himself from the suction exerted by the Cosmic Rubik's Cube's energy explosion, without checking his body for damage, he rolled and sprinted away from the area enveloped by the black smoke.
He smelled a scent of death, but thanks to his anti-toxic mask, he wasn't poisoned, feeling grateful for wearing the Holy Statue Armor underneath.
Yet, the explosion of the Cosmic Rubik's Cube's energy injured Strangulation significantly, it barely clung to Su Ming, appearing battered and tattered.
"The armor's partially damaged, more than ten holes on my body, fatigue setting in… Red Skull sure knows how to play."
Su Ming leaned against a nearby building, feeling his armor. He already knew what the black smoke was, though somewhat unexpected that Stryker's signature weapon appeared in his arch-enemy's hands.
Red Skull now possessed clones, and it clearly wasn't Zola aiding him.
Su Ming's mind instantly recalled a guy with a red spot on his forehead, who in the future, gained fame through various clones.
It seemed he should have Monac send a message to the London Temple, asking the old unkempt Great Mage there to make 'Horror' a special meal.
Baron Zemo was no more, only his sword lay discarded at a distance. During his struggle in Red Skull's grip, Red Skull nonchalantly knocked his weapon away.
Su Ming merely glanced at it; it was just an ordinary alloy, holding no interest for him.
The black smoke gradually dissipated.
The Netherworld Flower's bloom in Midgard wouldn't last long, it now disappeared into the night as if it never appeared.
The hostages on the execution platform were fortunate; though noticeably terrified now, few actually succumbed to the poisonous gas.
"What are you waiting for? Run for your life!"
"Thank you, Captain America! You are our hero!"
The hostages, without bothering to untie their bound wrists, supported each other, sprinting and vanishing into the street alleys.
Whether they could fully escape depended on luck, as Red Skull had clearly planned meticulously. There were no regular German Army units on this square, only Hydra soldiers, indicating the high possibility of blockades or similar measures on the perimeter.
Red Skull intended to kill Zemo, sacrificing even all Hydra members here to maintain secrecy.
Hydra's internal strife was far from honorable.
Su Ming took one last look at the empty battlefield, leaving without hesitation. About five minutes after he departed, a shadow appeared on the battlefield, retrieving the weapon left by Zemo.
A pair of blue hands retrieved a special Hydra chest badge from the black ash left by Zemo, only the leader-level badges being so resilient, the special metal enduring the Cosmic Rubik's Cube energy's corrosion.
He picked up the badge, gently blowing off the dust atop it, placing it in his pocket.
"Whew... Things are spiraling out of control. Indeed, timely action is necessary..."