"So that's the case… special metal materials."
A sharp light glinted in Kurogai Blackwood's eyes. The message from the Ultimate Pupil seconds ago had given him the answer.
Special metal—this was the crucial point in what the Pupil had revealed. It was also the condition to unlock the sixth Pupil Ring.
And Stark's long blade… it was forged from exactly that kind of rare substance.
A metal with a name known across the world—Vibranium.
So this is Vibranium? No wonder it resonates with my ability. Kurogai's gaze deepened. But if the sixth Ring requires special metals, why didn't the ones I've encountered before work?
He had come across unusual metals over the years—durable, rare, and powerful—but none had triggered the condition. The answer, he suspected, lay in the purity and nature of the material. Perhaps those earlier metals were not rare enough, or their properties failed to align with the Rings' requirements. Or perhaps, he thought, the Pupil Rings themselves had to be partially awakened before they could react.
That would explain why, until this moment, he had felt nothing.
Looks like I'll have to pay Wakanda a visit in the future, Kurogai mused.
Before the thought could settle, Stark's urgent voice cut through the air.
"Kurogai! Behind you—move!"
The whistle of displaced air roared in his ears. A massive shadow loomed, descending toward him like a meteor. Abomination's hulking frame blotted out the sky, his only thought to crush Kurogai where he stood.
The monster's intent was pure and venomous—obliteration.
"Ant-like pest… can you only sneak attack?" Kurogai's eyes narrowed into cold slits. "In that case, I'll grant you what you want."
Abomination's enormous fist came down, the air pressure alone rattling nearby debris. To Kurogai, however, time itself slowed. The monstrous blow crawled toward him in sluggish frames, each detail laid bare before his golden eyes. He could easily dodge… but didn't.
If Abomination wanted a head-on contest of strength, Kurogai would give him one.
His fist clenched, power surging through every muscle. The aura of the Phoenix flared within him, erasing all hesitation. Energy roared through his veins as the Clock of Time accelerated his movements far beyond human limits.
Their fists met.
The impact detonated like a bomb, a thunderous BOOM splitting the air. A shockwave erupted outward, tearing across the street and toppling rubble. Stark was forced to brace, his armored boots digging into the cracked pavement. Even the facades of nearby buildings trembled under the force.
A sharp crack rang out from within the chaos. Abomination's roar turned into a pained bellow as he was hurled back. When the dust began to clear, the ground beneath them was split and fractured like glass under a hammer.
One of Abomination's massive arms hung at an unnatural angle, bones shattered from the sheer force of the blow.
"Didn't you want a frontal fight?" Kurogai's voice was ice. "Then I'll give you exactly that."
Blue light flickered along his arm as the Phoenix's healing restored him instantly. Before Abomination could even react, Kurogai vanished—only to reappear right in front of him.
Another blow. Another eruption of force. The monster's body was launched backward, crashing through a building and leaving a gaping hole in the structure.
Kurogai was there again before Abomination's body had even finished falling. His attacks were relentless, each strike driving the monster deeper into the ruins. This was not the surgical precision Kurogai often used in battle—this was raw, overwhelming force. Every hit was a direct, merciless collision.
Buildings collapsed under the repeated impacts. The street became a cratered war zone. Kurogai didn't stop. Again and again, Abomination was sent flying, smashing through concrete, leaving a trail of destruction in every direction.
Even with his notorious resilience, the monster's endurance began to fail. His chest caved in from repeated strikes, the once-towering form now trembling under the unyielding assault.
It was a fight in name only—a one-sided dismantling. Kurogai was not merely defeating Abomination; he was breaking him.
From the sidelines, Stark muttered in disbelief. "These two monsters—Hulk and Abomination—they're like kids compared to him. Kurogai is… a humanoid tyrannosaurus."
But Kurogai wasn't listening. His focus was entirely on the enemy before him. By the time he stopped, Abomination was barely conscious, breath shallow, body battered beyond recognition.
"Kurogai, are you actually planning to pound him into the afterlife?" Stark asked cautiously as he approached, his tone carrying a mix of shock and reluctant admiration.
"He wanted a fight," Kurogai replied flatly, turning away from the broken figure on the ground. "I gave him one."
Though the monster had passed out, Kurogai knew he wasn't dead. Abomination wouldn't fall so easily—but he would remember this defeat.
And Kurogai's mind was still on the Vibranium.
Because that weapon, and the path to Wakanda, were now etched into his plans.
_____
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