317 Roar of the Beast!

— Mechanical Metropolis, Urban District

"Shield frequency recorded. VEDA, maintain frequency tracking and prepare for support deployment."

Kagura was the first to break through the battlefield, swiftly bypassing the mechanical city's defense shield and stepping into Ultron's final domain.

Outside the city, the war raged with unrelenting fury.

But Kagura had no interest in glory or accolades won on the battlefield. Her true mission was singular and urgent—stop Ultron, as fast as possible.

Getting through Ultron's shield was a bit trickier than when she had done it in Wakanda.

Compared to Wakanda's dome-like sky shield, the one designed by Ultron was far more advanced.

After witnessing how Kagura had previously bypassed energy shields by hacking into their frequency patterns, Ultron had adapted—adding complex algorithms that caused the shield's frequency to shift constantly over time.

Under normal circumstances, this would've worked.

But Kagura's method of piercing energy shields wasn't some supernatural power or conceptual ability. It came purely from the tech expertise of Rhodes Island Industries.

In fact, Rhodes Island's own shields used this very technique—constantly changing frequencies to prevent intrusion.

However, after the Wakanda incident, Kagura had obtained a game-changing tool: the quantum computer, VEDA.

More than just a delivery system for electronic bombs.

VEDA could do far more—like decoding the frequency pattern of Ultron's evolving shield and reverse-engineering the algorithms designed to keep her out.

Even with its upgraded security, the barrier was powerless to stop her.

This was war.

Like rowing upstream—advance or be swept away.

As one side made breakthroughs, the other evolved in turn.

"Master, the Mind Scepter is located at the center of the city—inside that massive mechanical tower," Cortana's voice came through the comms.

"Do you require YoRHa squad support?"

"Not yet," Kagura replied, striding forward. "As planned, the Avengers and allied forces are keeping Ultron's army occupied outside the city. The job of ending Ultron falls to me."

She casually brushed a strand of silver hair behind her ear.

"Ultron probably knows I'm here by now, but unless he pulls back his army to hunt me down, YoRHa should remain on standby. That's the safer move."

"Confirmed, Master," Cortana said. "I'll continue monitoring your status and the situation outside. Support will be ready when needed."

"Mm." Kagura nodded and shut off the comm.

In this siege against Ultron's stronghold, she had kept the YoRHa forces hidden from the start.

Stealth mode engaged, they patrolled quietly in nearby airspace, waiting.

According to her strategy, YoRHa wasn't meant to lead the charge.

They were the ace in the hole—a precision strike force that would only deploy when the tide of battle turned dire… or victory was within reach.

She even had a name for this tactic: The Straw Strategy.

Because YoRHa would be the last straw to break Ultron's back.

————————————————————————

Amidst the towering structures of the steel city, a lone silver-haired girl walked calmly.

Occasionally, robotic soldiers emerged to attack—but their threat level wasn't worth mentioning.

In mere seconds, Kagura's vibranium blades carved them into neat piles of metallic debris.

"Fwaaah~" She stretched lazily, as if taking a stroll. "I wonder what kind of trick Ultron has in store for me this time?"

She glanced around.

The mechanical city was even larger and emptier than she'd imagined.

Mechanical lifeforms didn't need homes. Or leisure. Or rest.

No houses, no shops, no entertainment districts. Nothing unrelated to function.

This wasn't really a city. It was a colossal manufacturing plant.

A place built solely for one purpose: to endlessly produce robotic soldiers and their weapons for Ultron's army.

"How… tragic," Kagura muttered.

"A mechanical civilization like this—if it continues on its own, what legacy will it leave behind in the long river of time?"

The purpose of civilization wasn't just endless survival.

It was to create something worth remembering—culture, art, history, myth...

Those were the crystallizations of true civilization.

Still, maybe it was unfair to judge Ultron from a purely human perspective.

Perhaps these vast mechanical cities could someday be seen as monuments of an artificial civilization's achievements.

————————————————————————

'RUMBLE… RUMBLE…!'

The ground trembled. Thunderous footsteps and crashing sounds snapped Kagura from her thoughts.

"Oh? Looks like the welcoming party has arrived."

She crouched slightly, eyes narrowing in the direction of the tremors.

Who was it this time?

A colossal mechanical beast?

Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch, dragging along some devastating weapon?

Or maybe…

[Gamma-ray mutant, threat level: High]

[Warning: Target in berserk state.]

[Threat level elevated.]

"…Oh. Seriously?"

'BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!'

From the distance, smoke rose as buildings collapsed into rubble.

A deafening cacophony followed, rattling the air itself as dust and shrapnel exploded outward.

"ROAAAARRR!!" A guttural roar shook the heavens, sending visible shockwaves through the air.

A storm of fury swept through the city streets— And then, he arrived.

A green behemoth, muscles bulging, shredded the remains of robot carcasses in his path.

He crashed down like a meteor, gouging a crater into the ground, landing squarely in front of Kagura.

"ROAR! ROAR! ROAR!!"

Scarlet magic swirled violently around his body.

This Hulk had no reason, only rage.

He raised his enormous arms—each thicker than Kagura's entire torso—and roared to the skies:

"HULK… SMASH!!!"

The sheer pressure made Kagura instinctively take a step back.

"Uhh… hey, Hulk?"

Of course, words were useless now.

The moment she saw that chaotic red aura surging through him, she understood—

Hulk was under Scarlet Witch's mental influence. A berserker state.

And unless someone beat that madness out of him, he wasn't coming back.

Ultron's "welcome gift" sure had weight to it.

Poor Dr. Banner... this must be hell for him.

Kagura exhaled, her arms trembling slightly as she summoned twin vibranium blades—sleek and silver.

"Don't worry, Hulk. I'll help you snap out of this madness."

"ROOOAARRR!"

Naturally, the green giant's response was yet another feral scream.

"Tch… Scarlet Witch really wiped out your rational side, huh?"

Kagura crouched, blades at the ready, adopting a low combat stance.

Her golden eyes shimmered—not with icy killing intent, but with the warm light of resolve.

A will to save, not destroy.

"Alright, big guy… let's dance—till we both break free!"