86 Honor and Dignity

A flash of lightning lit up the sky, and the iron armor ripped apart.

"Electromagnetic Control" was an extremely powerful skill.

Though Kagura Hitomi had only come up with the idea in the heat of battle, seeing how Ivan believed he was invincible against electromagnetic attacks, she decided to turn the tables and use the power of electromagnetism against him.

By reviewing her knowledge of "lightning" and "electromagnetism," the skill system connected her existing electromagnetic abilities and granted her a new attack skill that allowed her to fully control electromagnetic forces for ten seconds.

Ten seconds wasn't long, but in that brief moment, guiding any electrical or magnetic power at her disposal was enough to turn the tide of battle.

She seized the high-voltage arcs running through Ivan's electric whips, converting them into an immense force comparable to a large-scale lightning strike, completely destroying the electromagnetic shielding system inside Ivan's suit.

At that moment, Ivan's closed-suit armor, similar to Iron Man's, was torn open from the right side of the chest, exposing the scorched inner layers.

All of the suit's subsystems had been wiped out, including the remote control systems for the unmanned Iron Man suits from the Stark Industries Expo.

The battle was over.

"You lost, Ivan Vanko. Surrender," Kagura said as she put away her weapon.

"Since we seem to be able to talk, can I offer some advice? Let go of your pointless revenge."

"I told you, you don't understand, little girl," Ivan sneered.

"This is about revenge, a personal grudge, something that concerns my family's honor and dignity."

"I think honor and dignity shouldn't be exercised through violence and revenge, especially when your reasons for revenge are completely unfounded," Kagura countered.

"Have you ever thought that your father might not be as righteous as you believe?"

"Maybe the Stark family was actually in the right?"

"This has nothing to do with me," Ivan said coldly.

"I'm avenging my father, and that's it. I don't care whether this hatred is justified or not."

"Then tell me, after you kill Mr. Stark and complete your revenge, what will you do next?" Kagura asked.

"Is that the only purpose of your life?"

"Exactly. You wouldn't understand someone who dedicates their life to a single goal. You're too young, and your life is too beautiful," Ivan mocked.

"After revenge, I'll return to Russia, find a quiet village, and in the calm of the morning, sit outside and watch the warm sunlight rise over the snow-capped mountains in the east."

'Pfft', that's quite an idealistic vision.

Are you reincarnated as a sweet potato or something?

Kagura couldn't help but think sarcastically, but she understood Ivan's essence.

He was someone without any real life goals or beliefs, someone whose sole purpose for living was to exact revenge for a dignity that wasn't even real.

"Your life is truly pitiful, Ivan Vanko," Kagura said.

"You have talent and technology, but you've thrown it all away for a petty personal grudge."

"Do you think that's worth it?"

"Compared to the infinite possibilities of the Ark Reactor in the future, you seem to care more about the fame of inventing it. It's truly sad," Kagura continued.

"You hold the key to the future, but you choose to live in the ignorant past."

"You can't escape the shadow of your father, nor do you want to continue his legacy by exploring the technology of the Ark Reactor."

"Instead, you're using it for pointless revenge. Honestly, I look down on you."

"Are you trampling on my dignity, little girl?" Ivan roared.

"No," Kagura replied sternly.

"The one trampling on dignity is you, Ivan Vanko. You're the one reducing the dignity of a world-class physicist to nothing!"

Her words struck like a sharp arrow, piercing Ivan's heart.

"You are the most short-sighted person I've ever seen, Ivan Vanko," Kagura said.

"No matter if I'm standing in your way or not, a person like you will never defeat Iron Man!"

"Mr. Stark bears the weight of the world's responsibility and pressure, while you—your heart is filled only with that laughable hatred."

"You're quite the talker, little girl," Ivan's anger slowly subsided as he spoke.

"You'd make a great lawyer."

"Is that so?" Kagura smiled.

"I'll consider your suggestion. So, do you want to continue fighting?"

"No," Ivan shook his head.

"You won, little girl. In the name of Russian dignity, I admit defeat."

"Good," Kagura said. "I really don't like pointless killing."

A bright meteor streaked across the night sky, and Tony Stark in his Mark VI Iron Man suit landed behind Kagura in a classic superhero pose.

"Hey, Miss Flashblade, we meet again. Looks like you've taken care of things here?"

"That's right, Mr. Stark," Kagura replied, turning around.

"Did you enjoy yourself at the Stark Industries Expo?"

"If you call slaughtering machines 'fun,' then yes, I had a blast," Tony said, walking forward.

"Ivan Vanko, how's the taste of a second defeat?"

"I was defeated by 'Miss Flashblade,' not you, Tony Stark," Ivan said.

"Don't act like a victor in front of me; this victory isn't yours."

"Say whatever you want. You have plenty of time in prison to discuss your victory theory," Tony said dismissively.

In the distance, the sound of sirens grew louder as the New York SWAT team surrounded the abandoned warehouse.

"Miss Flashblade..." Ivan Vanko spoke in Russian, addressing Kagura.

"I'll think about what you said. We will meet again."

"I'll be waiting for that day, Ivan Vanko," Kagura replied, smiling in Russian.

"You're Russian too?" Tony Stark raised an eyebrow at Kagura.

"I'm not Russian!" Kagura responded.

"Huh? You sound just like one of my old assistants," Tony said.

"...Huh?"

"No, never mind," Tony waved his hand. "Sorry, I was just rambling."

"Want to know Miss Blade's true identity?" Natasha Romanoff approached.

"You could try asking her, or have a fight with her. If you win, she'll tell you who she is."

"Hey..." Kagura didn't know how to respond.

After the battle, Natasha Romanoff appeared again, likely collecting more combat data on Kagura.

As for Bucky Barnes, based on his message, he thought it wasn't the right time to meet Tony Stark, so he retreated for now.

"Natasha," Tony Stark looked at her in her black suit, "You really are from S.H.I.E.L.D. That's why you were fired."

"Actually, I submitted my resignation a long time ago," Natasha smiled.

"Now that you're fine, my mission is complete."

"I'm not going to thank you," Tony grumbled.

"No need," Natasha replied with a smile.

"But..." Tony turned to Kagura again.

"I think the idea of fighting and then revealing your identity is a good one."

"...I think it's a terrible idea!"

"Hahaha, don't worry, little cutie. I'm just kidding," Tony laughed, tapping his Iron Man suit.

"Iron Man isn't made for this kind of thing."

"You better know that!" Kagura replied, annoyed.

.....................................

[TL Note]

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