85 The Girl Who Commands Electricity and Magnetism

"Ivan Vanko..." The girl lowered her golden eyes.

"Hey! Big octopus, look this way! Your opponent is me!"

"Watch out, Hitomi! The energy readings show that this guy has nearly twice the power of what we faced before." Natasha said, her voice filled with concern.

"I'm not sure if your equipment can handle it. What about that electromagnetic cannon? That should be more reliable."

'Twice the power?'

Kagura was taken aback for a moment, then she activated her holographic UI and scanned Vanko's whip-like armor.

[Dual Palladium Arc Reactor, radiation levels exceeding safe limits.]

[Continued use will result in severe palladium poisoning.]

"Tsk... This Russian really has guts, doesn't he?" The girl muttered to herself.

"Vanko, what are you trying to achieve by going this far?"

"Ah, Flashblade. It's you again, hehe..." Ivan slowly spoke.

"Why do you always get in my way between me and Tony Stark?"

"I have no grudge with you, my target is Tony Stark."

"Mr. Stark is my family." Kagura answered calmly.

"So, clearly, I won't let you harm him."

"Oh? Family, huh." Ivan paused for a moment.

"Alright, then I'll use your corpse to surprise Tony Stark!"

With a swift motion, "Whipstrike" cracked its electric whips, closing in on Kagura.

Seeing the fierce attack, Kagura sighed lightly.

"So... no room for negotiation, huh?"

"In our world, we communicate with blood and fire!"

Ivan didn't seem interested in wasting time talking.

With a whip swing, the battle began.

"Fine, then. Have it your way!"

Kagura slightly bent her knees, releasing ripples of core energy around her.

"I don't like fighting or killing, and I certainly don't take lives lightly, but I'm not gentle enough to run away from a fight!"

'Bzzzzt—!'

The electric whips came slashing toward her.

Kagura leaped into the air, gliding like a swift swallow, skillfully dodging between arcs of electricity and searing hot whips.

[Electric Darts Deployed]

'Whoosh— whoosh— whoosh—'

While evading, several electric darts shot out toward Ivan.

These small, handheld darts can be fired either wirelessly or with a wired connection, depending on the situation.

They were built with tiny capacitors to discharge significant electrical power even in wireless mode.

However, the darts, when embedded in Whipstrike's armor, discharged blue sparks, but they had little effect on Ivan.

It made sense though — his armored suit was insulated to handle the electric whips.

Without that, he'd just electrocute himself.

"Hmph, not bad."

The distance attack didn't work, so Kagura quickly flipped in the air again, narrowly avoiding another whip strike.

Before Ivan could swing again, she unsheathed her long sword, leaned forward, and charged.

'Boom—!'

With an elegant motion, dust swirled up in the barren landscape.

This move, a racing technique she had previously used on Ivan, had succeeded in destroying his exo-suit back then.

The long whip had a major flaw — it was hard to strike accurately at someone close by, leaving a large attack blind spot.

So, as long as she was fast enough, it was easy to win by exploiting that weakness.

"Little rabbit, trying the same trick again?" Ivan laughed.

"But Russians don't fall in the same place twice!"

With a flash, he activated the flight boosters on his battle suit, retreating swiftly before using both electric whips to create a blue electric net, trapping Kagura from advancing.

"Hahaha! I've figured you out, Miss Flashblade."

Ivan taunted, "You seem to wield electromagnetic powers."

"But your attacks are useless against me! Electromagnetic pulses? Electric shocks? Hacking? I've prepared for everything."

"You don't stand a chance."

"Oh? Is that so?" Kagura paused her attack, straightened her posture, and looked at him.

"I don't understand... You have such a brilliant mind, so why are you working for Hydra?"

"Hydra? Who they are is none of my concern." Ivan replied coldly.

"I just want Tony Stark to pay for stealing my family's research. This is personal, and has nothing to do with any organization."

"I see." Kagura nodded.

"Then you're just embarrassing your Russian heritage."

"What did you say?"

Ivan's tone darkened.

"You don't understand? You're bringing shame to Russia. You've disgraced Anton Vanko's legacy." Kagura said sternly.

"Decades ago, your ancestors fought bravely to oppose Hydra and the Third Reich, but what are you doing? You're working for them!"

"I told you, this has nothing to do with organizations. I want Stark to pay!" Ivan retorted.

"The Ark Reactor technology was invented by my father. Howard Stark stole his research, framed him as a spy, and exiled him!"

"Did your father ever tell you what he wanted to do with the Ark Reactor?" Kagura asked, her voice sharp.

"A great technology can bring progress and happiness to the world, but it can also bring disaster. With your intellect, I'm sure you understand that."

"The Ark Reactor technology belongs to my father!" Ivan growled, rage filling his voice.

"He can do whatever he wants with it!"

"The Ark Reactor technology belongs to the world. It doesn't belong to Anton Vanko, nor to Howard Stark." Kagura calmly countered.

"When the world is ready to embrace it, the Ark Reactor will shine a light for all of humanity."

"But you don't understand how powerful the rage of revenge can be, little girl."

Ivan sneered and advanced, his electric whips ready to strike.

"Perhaps you're right, but Stark must pay for what he did!"

"I see." Kagura's golden eyes flickered.

"Thanks for understanding, but I'm not letting you go through with this."

[Memory Scan Requested, Key Parameters: Thunder Gun, Thunderstrike, Magneto.]

[Deep Memory Scan Complete, Memory Fragments Confirmed.]

[Existing Skill Set Connection Confirmed.]

[Concept Skill Combination Successful.]

[New Attack Skill Acquired.]

[Electromagnetic Control/10]

[Electromagnetic Control: Activates dynamic conductivity in the body, granting full control over electricity and magnetic fields for 10 seconds.]

"You think my abilities are just about electricity and magnetism?"

"Fine, then let me show you what true mastery of 'electricity and magnetism' looks like."

Kagura slowly raised her sword and assumed a stance, the tip aimed at Ivan's steel helmet.

[Electromagnetic Control: Activated.]

Her core energy dropped by 10%, tiny blue energy lines glimmered across her body, and the air around her began to buzz, crackling with miniature electrical sparks.

"Don't be foolish. My battle suit can even withstand lightning!"

Ivan swung his electric whips toward her, determined to strike.

This time, Kagura stood still, lightly swiping her sword.

In an instant, it was as if an invisible force guided his electric whips.

The whips, crackling with arcs and plasma, were redirected by the sword's tip, deflecting unnaturally to the side.

The laws of physics seemed to fail here as the electricity followed the sword's blade.

'Bzzzzzzt—!'

The sword became enveloped in chaotic arcs of electricity, resembling blue flames, as it blazed with a radiant glow.

"What... is this?"

"This is the power of electricity and magnetism."

Kagura smiled softly, stepping forward and gliding past the now-dominant whips, which had lost all power.

"You... you know nothing about electromagnetic power..."

'Vroom—!'

The overwhelming electric current tore through both of Whipstrike's Ark Reactors, incapacitating every system and completely disabling him.

Her blade slashed through his metallic armor, tearing Ivan's battle suit apart...