บท 359: The Clash Between Giants
After enduring a direct hit from the recoil cannon, the legion leader's fate was all but sealed. His chest bore a gaping, charred hole, smoke rising from the wound as he staggered forward, barely able to stay upright. Each step was a monumental effort, his legs trembling under the strain. Despite his injuries, he let out a guttural roar, his voice filled with rage and desperation. With his energy blade flickering weakly in his hand, he swung at his armored opponent, swiping wildly in the air. But his strikes were slow and uncoordinated, the strength and precision of earlier attacks long gone.
The armored vigilante easily dodged each swing, stepping aside effortlessly as the blade cut through empty air. There was no tension in his movements, no urgency—he was in complete control. The situation had already been decided, and the legion leader's feeble resistance was nothing more than a formality.
With a calm, almost mechanical precision, Iron Man activated the weapons on his shoulders. A burst of shotgun-like blasts rained down on the legion leader, each projectile landing with devastating accuracy. One shot struck his left shoulder, spinning him halfway around. Another hit him squarely in the chest, forcing him to stagger back. Two more landed directly on his face, shattering his helmet and rendering him blind. The legion leader screamed, a mix of pain and frustration, as blood and smoke poured from the destroyed remnants of his visor.
Now blinded, the legion leader swung his blade wildly, his movements frantic and directionless. It was a pitiful display, and Iron Man couldn't help but feel a pang of disdain. The once-feared commander of the Cantel army was now reduced to a staggering, broken man. With a calculated movement, Iron Man fired another recoil cannon blast. The energy shot hit the legion leader in the face, knocking him to the ground with a sickening thud. This time, he didn't get back up.
Iron Man landed gracefully a few feet away, the soft hum of his thrusters fading as he approached his fallen adversary. The legion leader's body twitched faintly, his breathing labored and uneven. Despite everything, there was still a flicker of anger in his expression, a stubborn refusal to accept defeat.
Without hesitation, Iron Man placed his armored boot on the legion leader's throat, pinning him to the ground. The once-proud commander struggled weakly, his hands clawing at the armored foot that held him down, but his strength was gone. Iron Man's right arm shifted, the sleek metal plates reconfiguring into the shape of an electromagnetic cannon. The barrel glowed with an icy blue light, arcs of energy dancing along its surface as it charged.
"The shot I hit you with earlier?" Iron Man said, his voice cold and metallic, amplified by the suit's speakers. "That was only ten percent of my suit's output. If I wanted to, you'd already be dead."
The legion leader tried to respond, his lips moving silently as if searching for words, but all that came out was a ragged cough. His body convulsed as he struggled to draw breath, his chest rising and falling unevenly.
Iron Man leaned in slightly, his tone shifting from mockery to interrogation. "Before I finish this, I have one question. Why did you come to Earth? What happened here? And who else knows the planetary coordinates?"
For a moment, the legion leader seemed confused, as if the question caught him off guard. Then, a faint, rasping laugh escaped his lips. It was a dry, humorless sound, filled with bitterness.
"Ah… I see now…" he wheezed, his voice barely above a whisper. "So that's what this is about…"
The legion leader paused, coughing violently. Each breath seemed to cost him dearly, his words broken and uneven. "No wonder… no wonder those angels… forbid technological development… No wonder your planet has grown quietly… without attracting attention…"
Iron Man narrowed his eyes behind his helmet. He knew the leader had misunderstood. The armor he wore was not a representation of humanity's overall technological progress but a unique creation, the product of a singular genius. Still, the leader's assumption wasn't entirely unfounded. Earth had avoided the gaze of the wider universe for centuries, its relative obscurity owed largely to lost coordinates and lack of interest from otherworldly powers.
"If I'd known this earlier…" the leader continued, his voice growing weaker. "I could've used it… as a bargaining chip… What a pity…"
Iron Man's armor hummed softly as it analyzed the leader's words. Advanced lie-detection systems scanned his tone, breathing, and body language. The results were clear—the leader was telling the truth. He hadn't shared Earth's location or its secrets. His regret was genuine, but his ignorance was greater. Consumed by his own survival, the fugitive had long forgotten Earth and its significance in his flight across the stars.
"What a… boring life…" the leader murmured, his voice trailing off.
The electromagnetic cannon on Iron Man's arm finished charging, the barrel glowing brighter as arcs of energy intensified. He aimed the weapon squarely at the leader's head, preparing for the final blow.
At that moment, a thunderous voice boomed across the battlefield. "Stop!"
[TL Note - Junior U Dare!!!]
Iron Man heard the command but didn't hesitate. His mission was clear, and his target lay helpless beneath him. With a single press of a trigger, the electromagnetic cannon fired. The bright blue beam of energy struck the legion leader's head, reducing it to little more than a smoking crater. The commander's body twitched once, then fell still, lifeless.
Almost instantly, a massive shadow descended upon Iron Man. A colossal fist, powered by raw, unrelenting force, slammed into his armored side, sending him tumbling across the ground. He rolled several times before stabilizing himself, thrusters firing to help him regain his balance.
Turning toward his attacker, Iron Man saw a towering figure—a black-skinned giant who radiated sheer power. This was the same brute he'd glimpsed earlier in the Cantel camp, a being who exuded strength in every movement. The giant's burning gaze locked onto the remains of the legion leader, now little more than a smoldering corpse.
"You stole my kill!" the giant bellowed, his voice reverberating like a thunderclap. "That was mine! I saw him first! You took what was mine, and now you'll pay for it with your life!"
Iron Man tilted his head slightly, puzzled by the outburst. "What are you talking about? Do you really think this is the time for—"
Before he could finish, the giant charged, his massive fists swinging toward Iron Man like wrecking balls. Iron Man barely managed to dodge the first punch, sidestepping just in time. The second punch, however, grazed his armored torso, sending him stumbling backward.
"You've been hitting the gym, haven't you?" Iron Man said, his voice tinged with sarcasm. "Care to share your trainer's number?"
The giant roared in fury, his deep voice shaking the ground beneath them. "Watch as Levi, strongest of all giants, crushes you into scrap metal!"
With a feral growl, Levi raised both fists high and brought them down in a devastating hammer strike. Iron Man activated his thrusters, propelling himself backward just as the fists slammed into the ground. The impact sent shockwaves rippling through the battlefield, leaving a deep crater where Iron Man had stood moments before.
"Nice move," Iron Man quipped, hovering just out of reach. "I've seen this trick before. It's called the 'Hulk Smash.' A friend of mine does it better, though."
Levi snarled and surged forward with surprising speed for his size. Closing the distance in seconds, he swung another massive fist toward Iron Man's head. Iron Man ducked and twisted, using his thrusters to spin around his opponent. As he moved, his boots reconfigured into a pile-driver mechanism. With a metallic clang, he stomped down on Levi's right fist, pinning it to the ground.
Levi roared in frustration, his muscles bulging as he tried to yank his hand free. But Iron Man held firm. At the same time, his left arm transformed into a massive iron hammer, flames jetting from its base as it charged. With a powerful swing, he brought the hammer crashing down on Levi's face, sending the giant staggering backward.
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