A horizontal crack split the wall of the Hydra base. All the Hydra soldiers fighting the Winter Soldier were severed cleanly in half by a single slicing wind blade. This was the devastating power of magic.
But this wasn't ordinary magic.
Back when Kurogai trained in Kamar-Taj, he'd learned of a unique discipline: Nature Magic. It channeled the elental forces of the world — wind, fire, ice, lightning, and more. The power of such spells was imnse, but their difficulty matched their might. Casting a natural spell demanded enormous ntal focus and consud vast amounts of magical energy. Because of this, most sorcerers in Kamar-Taj specialized in only one type of Nature Magic, if they studied it at all.
Even for those who did, using these magics in battle was rare. On the field, situations shifted by the second, and spells like conjured whips, swords, and shields took far less ti and energy. A sorcerer could strike, defend, and counter without delay. Weapon magic was practical, efficient, and deadly enough. That was why, until now, Kurogai himself had favored conjured weapons in combat.
But with the Winter Soldier occupying the base's defenders, Kurogai had ti — enough to unleash sothing far deadlier. He channeled the wind into a crescent-shaped blade of pure pressure and severed the enemy forces in an instant.
The Winter Soldier rose slowly, glancing at Kurogai, visibly shaken.
Though his mind remained under control, Winter Soldier's combat instincts scread at the power of that attack. The sheer destructive force made even him instinctively wary.
"Winter Soldier," Kurogai commanded coldly, "advance. Keep pushing deeper."
There was no need to explain. The soldiers they'd dispatched were aningless. The true threat hadn't yet appeared. Kurogai knew very well — Baron Strucker was the one running this operation, not these rank-and-file goons.
"Yes," Winter Soldier responded curtly, charging ahead once more.
The battle raged on.
anwhile, in the control room, Baron Strucker's expression twisted in alarm as he watched the security feed. His pupils contracted sharply at the sight of his soldiers being bisected, the base walls cracked by so unseen force.
A boy — not even a teen, radiating unnatural power — was effortlessly tearing through Hydra's forces alongside the Winter Soldier. The sight was enough to send a ripple of fear through even the hardened Baron.
"That one... He's controlling the Winter Soldier?! Damn it, then Pierce and Doctor Zola must have fallen to him already," Strucker snarled. "Those fools! They've exposed my location and dragged their ss straight to my doorstep!"
But what gnawed at him most was how. How had Pierce and Zola managed to provoke an enemy like Kurogai? Strucker had been quietly conducting human experints here for years, finally identifying two ideal test subjects. Now, thanks to those imbeciles, a storm had co crashing through his walls.
Truth be told, Strucker had long distanced himself from Hydra's direct operations. Had he stayed current with internal affairs, he would've known that Whitehall had been eliminated years ago by a child with heterochromatic eyes. The power shifts within Hydra had not been kind to their leadership.
"Enough," Strucker growled. "I'll handle this myself. All soldiers — intercept them! Hold them off while I prepare."
Though furious, Baron Strucker wasn't the sort to panic. Unlike Pierce, who sched from the shadows, Strucker was a warrior. He was proficient in firearms, deadly with a blade, and his own body enhanced beyond that of a typical super soldier. Thanks to the Death Spore virus, he'd acquired imnse strength and durability. Coupled with his chanical right hand — the infamous Satan's Claw — Strucker was a lethal combatant in his own right.
To him, the Winter Soldier wasn't a threat. Kurogai, however, was another matter entirely.
"Yes, sir!"
The officer overseeing the monitors saluted sharply and relayed orders throughout the base.
In truth, everyone knew the regular soldiers wouldn't last long. Their job was to delay the inevitable, buying ti for Strucker's preparations. But now that Kurogai had personally joined the fight, the soldiers were little more than fodder. Their delay would last re monts.
Before long, Kurogai and the Winter Soldier reached the central compound. Instead of finding Strucker, however, they arrived at a prison block.
"A prison in the heart of the base… These must be Strucker's prized experintal subjects," Kurogai muttered.
His sharp gaze swept over the cells, instantly grasping the situation.
"Save us! Please, save us, hero!"
"Sir, let us out, please!"
The captives clung to whatever hope they could muster, desperately calling to Kurogai through the bars.
A faint smirk played at Kurogai's lips. He wasn't one for theatrics, but he also didn't mind making Hydra's day worse.
"Winter Soldier," he ordered, "open the cells."
The Winter Soldier complied without hesitation, tearing down doors with his chanical arm. In monts, the imprisoned subjects poured out into the hallway.
"Thank you, hero! Please — please take us with you!"
They crowded around Kurogai, terrified of what lay beyond and desperate to follow the one person who could stand against the soldiers.
"Take you with ?" Kurogai chuckled darkly. "You've got it wrong. I'm no hero. I'm under no obligation to protect you."
His voice was calm, detached.
"I gave you freedom. What you do with it is your business. If you're lucky, maybe you'll make it out alive."
His words sent a cold shiver through the freed prisoners, but the point was clear. This was no savior — rely a force of destruction that happened to break their chains along the way.
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