The pain shot from Cross's heart straight into his soul, and with a hoarse, broken scream, he passed out again.
In that moment, everyone in the audience gasped. Who was this man in the black robe, and how could he be so merciless?
Every one of Cross's screams tugged at their nerves. Even as bystanders, it hurt just to watch and listen.
The man dressed in black on the stage was now completely stained red with blood. Under the sunlight, that terrifying color gleamed sharply. Cross lay on the ground, soaked in blood.
"In any case… this man is someone who must never be provoked."
That thought had already taken root in the minds of everyone present. With every move Blaine made, the seed sprouted further, embedding itself deep into their souls in mere moments.
He was too frightening—calling him a devil wouldn't be an exaggeration. A perfectly normal press conference had turned into a scene straight from hell. Some of the more timid spectators even fainted after Cross did.
Step. Step. Step. Step…
Blaine walked slowly toward the spot where Tony had just finished his speech.
Every eye followed him. With each step the Bounty Hunter took, their hearts seemed to clench tighter.
Reaching the front, Blaine spread his arms, lifted his head toward the sun, and inhaled deeply—as if embracing the entire world.
Then he brushed the blood from his clothes. Even though he already looked like a blood-soaked Mephista, the casual gesture made the crowd freeze in terror, not daring to breathe.
From beginning to end, no one moved. They knew without a doubt that if anyone acted rashly, disaster would fall on them instantly.
The devil on the stage seemed to be preparing for something. Finally, he spoke.
"I… am… the… Bounty… Hunter…!!!"
Blaine mimicked Tony's gesture, pretending to speak into the microphone before him.
The voice that came out sounded like it rose from the depths of the Nine Hells—cold, hollow, and deliberately raspy, carrying a chilling force.
At that moment, the words "Bounty Hunter" carved themselves permanently into the minds of everyone present—reporters, celebrities, and audiences across the entire globe. This was a worldwide broadcast.
That had been Blaine's plan all along. Last night's call with Tony had been for this press conference—for this spectacle being witnessed worldwide right now.
Blaine thought: if a nobody like Cross, wearing a second-rate Wasp battlesuit, dared to blow up his house… what had he been doing wrong? Had he become too low-profile? If there was a first Cross, there would be a second. If he didn't make an example, they'd just keep coming.
The last time his home was bombed, the incident had never gone public because S.H.I.E.L.D. interfered. Blaine guessed they must have covered it up, making all his efforts meaningless.
Sometimes he wondered if his existence simply wasn't known well enough. If people had known the name Bounty Hunter, would there have been a second bombing?
If it happened a third time, not only would Blaine have to deal with it—half his neighbors would probably move out. Imagining some auntie directing her entire family to pack up and flee made Blaine shake his head helplessly.
But after today, everyone would remember that name. With luck, nothing foolish would dare challenge him again. Honestly, Blaine found it annoying to spend so much energy on such trivial matters.
Inside Stark Tower, in Tony's private top-floor office, two people were talking.
"Mr. Hunter, you really showed your power today," Tony said.
"We hold a press conference to announce the acquisition of Cross Technology, and then you disable their president."
"Anyone who didn't know better would think we were working together."
"I pity my small business—yet you smashed my company signboard right in front of everyone."
Tony shrugged, complaining, though the expression on his face betrayed the opposite.
"Oh? Oh."
"Don't forget the ten billion. Transfer it to my account."
With that, Blaine teleported away.
He didn't bother exposing Tony. With his mind-reading ability, he'd already seen through Tony's thoughts.
Smashed his signboard? Please. Tony clearly wanted Blaine to wipe out his commercial rival for him. On one hand, he strengthened Stark Industries' dominance. On the other, Blaine appearing at a Stark Industries press conference gave the subtle illusion that Stark had a Bounty Hunter standing behind them.
It had to be said—Tony's business instincts were as sharp as ever. Fortunately, Blaine was casual about such things. As long as he got paid, he didn't care.
After returning home, Blaine removed his Hunter suit and tossed it into the Hunter Space. Even though it was drenched in blood, the suit would automatically separate and clean itself once inside, sparing Blaine the trouble. For a suit worth tens of billions, it would be ridiculous if it didn't have that feature.
Blaine was quite satisfied with today's performance. He had established global prestige, taught Cross a lesson, and warned anyone else plotting against him to stop thinking about it.
While Blaine relaxed in a warm bath, the rest of the world was drowning in panic.
Who could possibly hand their world over to a man like that?
The press conference had been broadcast worldwide, drawing global attention. Even various governments were helpless—they couldn't suppress the footage at all.
And so, a massive debate about superheroes and the Avengers ignited across the world.
Some supported them unconditionally—after all, someone had to protect Earth, even if their methods were extreme.
Others demanded the Avengers be disbanded. Not just them—all superheroes should be controlled.
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