A spiked war mace came crashing down with tremendous force.
The massive metal weapon, gleaming with a cold light, was nearly as thick as a grown man's torso.
Yet, in the hands of the towering stone warrior whose size rivaled that of the Hulkbuster armor it looked almost like a one-handed club.
'Yikes, someone's got anger issues.'
Kagura thought with a smirk. Outwardly, her face was calm, even slightly amused.
Her confidence came from knowing her enemy.
These Kronan stone warriors might look intimidating and boast incredible strength.
They were, after all, powerful fighters and elite mercenaries feared across the galaxy but at the end of the day, they were still made of stone.
Their rock-like bodies lacked flexibility and were surprisingly brittle beneath the surface.
Their strength was impressive, sure, but they moved like walking tanks.
Their silicon-based nervous systems were primitive, and their overly bulky "muscles" only got in the way of fluid motion.
These giants weren't built for speed, much less for precision combat.
'Perfect chance to test that new technique I've been theorizing.'
A faint glow sparked in Kagura's golden eyes as she smiled.
[Energy Conversion: Activated]
"Energy Conversion" was a conceptual ability she acquired during the battle of New York.
For 10 seconds, it allowed her to convert one type of energy into another of equal intensity light into heat, kinetic into electromagnetic, and so on, granting her a massive edge in battle.
It was this very skill that had turned the tide against Aldrich Killian.
She'd redirected the searing heat from his Extremis explosion into light energy, effectively neutralizing him.
But this time, she was going to try something new.
The Kronan warrior brought his massive club down on her head with terrifying force.
Even with his sluggish movements, that kind of brute strength was no joke.
If she took it head-on even with the White Moon battlesuit it'd be a miracle if she made it out without serious injuries.
But Kagura didn't draw her blade.
She didn't dodge either.
She merely lifted her right hand.
'You can't block that!'
That was the thought running through the Kronan's head.
Sigrid thought the same.
So did the surrounding bandits and Vanaheim villagers who witnessed the scene.
But…
They were all wrong.
'BOOM!'
A shockwave exploded outward, warping the air itself before releasing it in a blast.
The instant the war mace touched her palm Kagura didn't budge an inch.
Instead, the Kronan warrior was sent flying.
"ROOOAARR!"
'BAM! CRASH! THUD-THUD-THUD!'
He tumbled across the ground like a ragdoll, digging up dirt and rolling several times before coming to a stop in a heap.
"WHOA!"
Gasps erupted all around.
What just happened?
Everyone tried to make sense of the "miracle" they had just seen.
How did this silver-haired girl block a fatal strike from a Kronan warrior with just her bare hand and knock him back on top of that?
Was it some kind of trick? A stand-in?
Nope.
Kagura casually dusted off her hand. "Mm-hmm, test successful."
The logic behind it was surprisingly simple:
[Energy Conversion]
This skill didn't just let her change energy types—it also allowed her to alter the direction in which energy was transferred, even if the type remained the same.
Vector control.
That's right with "Energy Conversion," Kagura could replicate the effects of the legendary power Vector Manipulation, even modifying the vector's properties mid-flow.
"Sorry, but this path only goes one way," she said, smiling.
Even she had to admit that line was pretty cringe-worthy, in a cool way.
"ROAR! ROAR! ROOAAAR!!"
Clearly not amused, the Kronan warrior let out a series of furious howls.
He picked himself back up and began slamming his mace into the ground, causing the earth to shake and dust to rise into the air.
The battlefield quieted.
Even the bandits fighting the villagers paused to watch.
Their attention shifted to the silver-haired girl and the stone giant.
It felt less like a chaotic skirmish now more like a one-on-one duel between generals.
Two armies.
Two champions.
Winner takes all.
"Hmm? Upset? Surprised? Confused?" Kagura stepped forward slowly.
"I'm sorry for interfering in your tribe's conflict."
"I know I'm an outsider. But General Hogun asked me to protect Aunt Sigrid and sweet little Chisé."
"So, any threat aimed at them—I will eliminate with everything I've got!"
"ROOOARRRR!"
The Kronan didn't care for speeches.
He raised his mace once more and charged, each step shaking the earth beneath him.
He brought his weapon crashing down once again.
'I don't believe it!'
'No way she can stop that again! Not twice!'
Of course, if you're going to put on a show, you can't keep repeating the same trick.
'FWOOOSH!'
Sparks flew.
Starbursts scattered.
Kagura didn't move her feet.
She simply lifted her right hand and slashed upward.
Thanks to the upgraded White Moon suit, she now had more space for storing weapons.
From her wrist module, a gleaming silver blade extended and took shape—her signature vibranium longsword.
With a single smooth motion, she sliced clean through the massive mace as if it were made of clay.
A shockwave followed.
Wind howled, kicking up grass and dirt. Her long silver hair billowed in the blast.
A lone beauty, standing tall. Hair dancing in the storm.
Steel met stone and in that instant, time seemed to freeze.
She smiled softly, sword in hand, her figure elegant and composed—like something out of a world-famous painting, framed in light and motion.
"ROAR?!"
The Kronan blinked at his now broken weapon, clearly stunned.
"ROOOOARRR!!!"
But even if he understood what just happened, it made no difference.
All he could do was roar again and charge, fists clenched in raw fury.
BZZZT!
Kagura didn't plan on dragging this out.
Her job was to protect Sigrid and Chisé no time for games.
One mistake and the joke would be on her.
She checked her energy reserves. 63%.
Still in the safe zone.
Blue arcs of lightning began to dance along her sword.
[Directional Electromagnetic Pulse: Activated]
"ROARRRR!"
'WHUUUMMMMM—!'
In a flash of white and black, time collapsed.
The Kronan came charging, fists raised.
Kagura struck.
i
A blast of electromagnetic energy burst from her blade, carving a deep trench into the ground.
Lightning danced and fire erupted in its wake.
'BOOM!'
The shockwave hit.
The Kronan warrior barely had time to process the impact before he was shattered blown apart into lifeless chunks of stone, scattered across the field.
"Just as weak as the stories say."
Kagura flicked her sword and retracted the blade back into her suit.
"Enemy commander eliminated! Anyone who doesn't want to die—surrender. Now."
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