The clash between Zenkichi and the Hulk continued with violent intensity, fists meeting mid-air in a thunderous explosion.
Around them, chaos reigned. Shockwaves rippled outward, throwing parked vehicles into one another like toys. Expensive sports cars crumpled into unrecognizable heaps of twisted metal.
"This is going to cost us a fortune..."
Chief Afrikaner rubbed his temples in frustration, surveying the wreckage from a nearby SHIELD command post. His voice was tight with stress.
Since Zenkichi had been recruited into SHIELD's ranks—even if unofficially—every bit of damage he caused became SHIELD's financial responsibility.
In just the last few minutes alone, Zenkichi had inadvertently totaled over twenty high-end cars. All of them luxury vehicles. The damages were already climbing into the tens of millions.
How could he not be distressed? SHIELD's funding wasn't as bottomless as it used to be.
He sighed again. "Sometimes I think the only people in this world who don't care about money are the folks at Stark Industries…"
He wasn't wrong. If anyone could shrug off this kind of damage, it was Tony Stark. The rest of them? They were just trying to survive with budget cuts.
Back at the battlefield, Thor stood beside the wreckage with a bewildered look on his face as he watched Zenkichi go blow-for-blow with the Hulk.
"Is the world always this dangerous now?" Thor asked aloud, speaking to no one in particular.
He had been on Earth for only a short while, and yet he'd already crossed paths with Loki, witnessed battles of immense scale, and now, this. Watching Zenkichi face the Hulk with his bare hands made even the God of Thunder feel cautious.
He glanced at Zenkichi again, then back at the Hulk, whose strength seemed to increase with every second of the fight.
Thor couldn't deny it—even at his peak, he might not come out on top against either of these monsters.
"They're not just powerful," he muttered. "They're something else entirely."
He clenched his fists. If he was going to stay in this world, he needed to recover his strength—and quickly.
Loki's warning still echoed in his mind. His brother wasn't going to wait around. He intended to kill him, and Thor could no longer rely on the old gods or Asgard to shield him.
Earth wasn't as safe as it once seemed.
---
Meanwhile, the battle raged on. Zenkichi had exchanged hundreds of blows with the Hulk by now, yet neither side had gained a decisive upper hand.
As impressive as Zenkichi's physical prowess was, the Hulk's body was built for war. Every punch, every impact, only seemed to make him angrier—and stronger.
He wasn't slowing down. If anything, his power was increasing exponentially.
"This is going nowhere," Zenkichi thought, his expression tightening. "The longer this drags on, the stronger he gets."
His eyes suddenly flared.
"Rinnegan."
In that moment, a wave of pure mental pressure surged from his body. His eyes glowed with their distinct ripple pattern, and with it came the manifestation of incredible spiritual force.
The Hulk roared once more, but this time, his bellow was noticeably weaker.
He stumbled.
Zenkichi had launched a direct spiritual assault on the Hulk's mind. It didn't knock him out instantly—he was too enraged, too strong for that—but the effects were clear.
The green beast swayed on his feet, his muscles trembling from the internal pressure.
The Rinnegan's power wasn't just about brute force—it was about control, precision, overwhelming spiritual dominance. Though the Hulk's rage offered some resistance, even he couldn't hold out forever under such a focused mental barrage.
Still, the fact that he remained standing was impressive.
"Holding on, huh?" Zenkichi muttered.
But he wasn't finished.
He pushed harder, unleashing another wave of focused energy. His gaze sharpened, locking onto the Hulk's soul.
This time, the result was immediate.
The Hulk's roar died on his lips. His massive body shook, knees buckling beneath him, before he finally collapsed with a thunderous crash.
He wasn't dead, not even injured. But his consciousness had been overwhelmed—he was out cold, subdued by Zenkichi's spiritual might.
Zenkichi exhaled slowly, his eyes dimming slightly as the Rinnegan's glow faded.
"That took longer than I expected," he murmured, stepping away from the unconscious behemoth.
He glanced around at the carnage. Flattened streets. Crushed cars. A stunned silence hung in the air.
This was the price of raw power.
---
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