270 No, it’s you who are surrounded! [50 PS]

Artificial intelligence. Mechanical warriors.

Technology that once seemed like science fiction had already become reality.

As Kagura faced off against the newly-deployed combat androids created by Hydra, she couldn't help but feel a strange sense of fascination.

These machines, hastily assembled and immediately thrown into the battlefield, reminded her of the YoRHa units she had envisioned and bore an uncanny resemblance to Tony Stark's Iron Legion.

In this world, it seemed that no matter which faction you belonged to, once you had access to sufficient resources and technological prowess.

The natural course of action was clear: integrate weapons with artificial intelligence and build a new generation of unmanned armies.

Was this coincidence?

Or was it inevitable—an inescapable step in the evolution of warfare?

Perhaps the trajectory had been fixed ever since Iron Man first took flight in 2008.

Just as organisms in nature evolve in similar ways when faced with the same survival pressures, the development of weapons seemed to follow the same pattern.

Different minds across different ideologies had all arrived at the same conclusion:

Artificial soldiers were the future.

Calling it coincidence didn't quite do it justice.

AI wasn't just about improving productivity or enhancing daily life.

When powerful AI systems were applied to warfare, the very nature of conflict would change forever.

Iron Legions.

Robotic soldiers.

These next-gen weapons were poised to completely replace traditional troops. Human conflict would be reduced to remote-controlled, AI-driven proxy wars.

In terms of foresight, Hydra's current leader—Baron Strucker—clearly had a vision for future warfare that was nothing short of impressive.

[Artificially Intelligent Humanoid Combat Units.]

[Threat Level: Medium.]

[Detected Units: 30.]

[Targets possess internal multi-type weapon systems. Proceed with caution.]

Within the castle, Hydra's robotic soldiers were closing in from all directions, surrounding Kagura with weapons drawn.

The situation looked grim.

Constructed from an unknown alloy, powered by what appeared to be miniature arc reactor-like tech, these robots were equipped for full-spectrum combat.

Their arms could transform to suit the situation—into energy pulse rifles, bladed weapons, multi-barrel anti-armor guns, and semi-automatic cannons.

Their mobility was formidable, supported by flight stabilizers mounted on their backs, giving them Iron Man-style aerial maneuverability.

And since they didn't require human operators, they fought like a swarm—linked in a collective hive-mind that optimized their performance as a unit.

Technologically speaking? Kagura was genuinely impressed.

Sure, they were likely built using the Mind Scepter as a shortcut or "cheat code," but still—pulling off AI combat bots of this caliber was no small feat.

As a fellow developer of weapons, Kagura had to give Baron Strucker credit where it was due.

And yet...

'Too bad we're enemies.'

'Because I'm about to dismantle every last one of your new toys.'

Kagura quickly assessed the battlefield.

Time was of the essence.

As long as the castle's energy shield remained up, the Avengers couldn't breach it.

The longer the battle dragged on, the more the advantage tilted in Hydra's favor—and potentially, the local Sokovian public might begin to turn against them.

As for the Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver? They were no longer a threat.

Wanda had already pushed herself too far and couldn't continue attacking, and Pietro had been knocked unconscious earlier by a well-timed kick.

He was down for now.

These two siblings were a tragic victims of circumstance, they were inherently good people and future members of the Avengers.

Especially Pietro, whom the system had flagged as her current mission target:

[Save Quicksilver – 20QP]

For now, Kagura's only obstacle was the horde of Hydra robots—each allegedly on par with Captain America in combat prowess.

'Slash—!'

With a step forward, the silver-haired girl drew two vibranium longswords from the weapon compartments in her combat suit.

"Surrounded, huh? If you think you can take me down—go ahead and try!"

"Ha! What a cocky little brat," Strucker sneered through the comms.

"All units—attack! Let's use Flashblade's corpse to teach the Avengers a lesson they won't forget. This is what happens when you cross Hydra!"

The metal tide surged forward.

The army of machines launched their assault, forming a wall of gunfire from every angle.

Kagura responded instantly, her photon wings flaring to life as she vaulted into the air, evading the first wave of bullets.

Twisting midair, she dove into the swarm, slicing with her dual blades as the melee began.

Steel clashed. Sparks flew.

Her core energy reserves were down to 30%.

She still had enough to unleash her most powerful technique—Pseudo-Mystic Art: Frigid Rave—once.

But if she ran into another threat afterward, she'd be in serious trouble.

She also had to reserve at least 5% of her energy for a high-priority objective: hacking into Hydra's network to disable the shield and let the Avengers breach the castle.

Even as her blades danced, Kagura's mind worked at full speed, analyzing the enemy.

These units were formidable.

The combination of AI and the Mind Scepter had clearly paid off. But they lacked coordination.

This was their battlefield debut, and it showed—they had no tactical synergy, no effective response to Kagura's agile, precision strikes.

They might look the part, but at the end of the day, they were still clunky machines.

Hydra's only real advantage was numbers.

With enough units, they could box her in and force her onto the defensive, limiting her ability to go all out.

"Deploy the second wave! I don't care how many we lose—wear her down if you have to!" Strucker's furious command echoed across the battlefield.

A new wave of robots burst from the underground hangars, adding to the ever-growing onslaught.

Metallic debris piled up like miniature mountains.

But Kagura's vibranium blades cut through them like paper any bot that dared charge recklessly was turned into scrap.

The reinforced energy shield of the White Moon combat suit continued to shimmer, effortlessly blocking Hydra's long-range fire and protecting Kagura from any stray shots during close-quarters combat.

"Hitomi! What's your status? Can you handle this?"

Tony Stark's voice came through her comms as he hovered nearby in the sky, monitoring the battle.

"We can't break through the shield from out here. If you can find a way to bring it down, we'll back you up immediately!"

"I'd love to!" Kagura deftly evaded a pincer attack, her blades flashing as she sliced through two more Hydra units with fluid precision.

"Hang in there, Mr. Stark. I'm working on it—it's just gonna take a little more time!"

'Zzzap! Zzzap! Zzzap!'

Sparks flew as steel was torn apart.

Amid the chaos, the silver-haired girl moved like a dancer of death—graceful, elegant, and unstoppable.

Her body spun through the battlefield like a reaper in hell, delivering destruction with every movement.

Where her blades passed, only ruin remained.

"Give it up, Flashblade! You're surrounded! Even if you cut down ten, twenty, even thirty of my robots—I have enough to crush you with sheer numbers alone!"

Strucker's arrogant voice echoed through the castle's speakers.

Kagura sneered. "Surrounded? Don't make me laugh. When did you get the idea I was fighting alone?"

With a swift kick, she launched the robot in front of her into the air, then spun backwards with the momentum, cleaving through two more as she landed.

"Let me tell you something. I'm not the one who's surrounded. You are."

Just then, a calm, synthetic voice chimed into her earpiece:

"Master, apologies for the delay. Shield frequency calibrated. Beginning breach now."

In the skies above, amidst the VF fighter squadron maintaining air dominance alongside Stark's Iron Legion, a sleek, crimson-painted aircraft dove sharply.

From its undercarriage, a black figure detached, streaking like a meteor toward the castle's shield.

'BOOM—!'

The shield ruptured at its top, a massive hole torn through the energy field.

System breach complete.

It was the same method Kagura had used to enter—a classified technique known only to Rhodes Industries.

A pale-blue flash of light streaked across the sky, and a figure clad in jet-black combat gear landed on the castle wall with pinpoint precision.

In an instant, quantum energy flared around the newcomer.

Pure energy solidified into airborne blades that hovered and spun at impossible speeds—slicing through Hydra's robotic forces like grass under a scythe.

"A1 autonomous combat unit—battle mode engaged. Cortana, reporting for support."