Finally, there was a roar like a bomb exploding.
Through the rising smoke and dust, the two figures vanished from sight.
But when Killian looked up, Blaine was already standing high on a crane.
Looking down calmly, not a speck of dust clung to him.
This was the terror of teleportation. With absolute speed, Blaine could reach the crane instantly. But speed required moving through the dust, while teleportation was space-jumping, skipping the process entirely.
Killian stood below, his body wreathed in magma flas. His human form had long since disappeared—only the vague shape and distorted features remained.
"At first, I was a little afraid of your sword. But it looks like you want to kill yourself..."
He sneered. "I forgot to tell you—I am the Mandarin. How about that? No surprise?"
"I know."
Killian froze. He had expected Blaine to be shocked by his "revelation," but the flat reply robbed him of the dramatic mont.
…Are all bounty hunters this infuriating?
He brushed dust off his body—though there was none. With his whole form blazing at nearly 3,000 degrees Celsius, nothing remained, not even air, which hissed and cracked around him.
"Really... teor Fla..." Blaine murmured.
His eyes lit with five-colored stars, and above Killian's head a pentagram matrix flared.
Magma against magma. Killian would learn the humiliation of dying by his own elent.
At the sa ti, gunfire had alerted the entire port. Extremis soldiers sward toward Blaine.
Behind a container, two figures watched.
"Tony, look—it's Pepper! We need to move!"
"We're not fighting alone," Tony said.
A sudden whoosh filled the sky. One after another, Iron Man suits descended—not one, not ten, but over a hundred.
From Mark VII through Mark XLII, all of Tony's creations filled the air.
This was his true strength after the Battle of New York. Ever since leading the Chitauri away, he had devoted himself daily to building armor—improving weapons, refining systems, obsessing over details—so much that he neglected Pepper.
That battle had shown him his greatest weakness. No matter how strong, as Thor once said, he was still just a man in a tal suit.
Tony had wrestled with that—was it him, or the armor, people admired?
"OK, Rhodey, pick a suit. Maybe not your model, but close enough." ?????? ?????????? ??????????????s ?????? ??????????s?????? ???? N0veI.Fi??e
Rhodey rolled his eyes. "Say what you want, but this doesn't surprise ."
"The president's yours," Tony said. "I'll get Pepper."
Without waiting for an answer, he blasted forward.
The swarm of Iron Man suits naturally drew Killian's attention.
"That Stark—always full of surprises," Killian muttered.
Imdiately, his Extremis soldiers clashed with Tony's armors.
But against hundreds of fully ard suits, the defective soldiers didn't stand a chance. In less than two hours, Blaine knew, the entire Extremis force would be scrap.
"teor Fla!!!"
Before Killian could refocus, a flaming teor, three ters wide, appeared above him.
Blaine smirked. Just like when he fought the Hand's Five Fingers, he used his enemy's greatest skill against him—reminding him there was always soone stronger.
"Co on then!"
Killian didn't dodge. He roared and punched the teor head-on.
Boom!
The impact shook the docks. For an instant, the teor stalled. Killian's power was no joke.
But it wasn't enough.
The teor's flas engulfed him, smashing him into the horizon with an echoing crack. Even if he wasn't burned to ash, he'd be pulped.
"Didn't expect that. I ca at full speed, but still couldn't beat you to it, Mr. Hunter."
Tony, clad in Mark XLII, arrived a mont too late.
"I said, it's every man for himself. Seems you're a step behind. Goodbye."
"Wait!" Tony called. "I need your help with one more thing."
"Hiring?" Blaine asked coldly.
"Yes. My girlfriend—Pepper. Can you cure the Extremis virus in her?"
"How much?"
Tony groaned. "Do you only ever think about money? I've hired you so many tis—don't I get a discount?"
"Goodbye."
"Fine—one billion. No, two billion. Final offer."
"I'll take the job."
Outwardly, Blaine was stoic. Inwardly, he laughed. Tony was a fool—two billion, again.
The truth was, with his technology, Tony could cure Pepper himself. But Blaine wouldn't tell him that. If money was offered, he would take it. As the saying went, care makes you vulnerable.
Still, jokes aside, Blaine opened the system mall to search for a cure.
He found the [Healing Potion] he had once used for Happy. This ti, though, Extremis required sothing stronger.
Finally, he saw it: the [Hundred Poisons Immunity Pill], selling for one million.
Without hesitation, he bought it. One million for two billion—perfect.
Strictly speaking, Extremis was like a poison. If the pill repelled all toxins, it should work.
*************************************
You can get access to early chapters on patr*on
If you like my work and you want to support
then you can beco my patron on patre*n.
My patr*on account is Lord_Immortal_0170
Reviews
All reviews (0)