It wasn't long before the situation shifted.
A helicopter appeared overhead, its markings clearly military. Evan braced himself—this had to be it. Heavy artillery? A bunker-busting bomb? Something, anything, to bring down the monster for good. He took off into the sky, ready to put distance between himself and whatever destructive payload was about to drop.
But instead of weapons, a man leaned out of the helicopter.
Then jumped.
Evan blinked. "What?"
The man plunged straight down and crashed through the roof of a building nearby—the very next rooftop over from where Evan had previously been. For a brief moment, silence reigned. Evan's mind whirled. What was that? Was someone really trying to go out in the most dramatic way possible in the middle of a monster rampage? How did he even crash through the building like that? Was the roof made of paper?
Then, with a rumbling roar, the answer made itself known.
The Hulk tore through the building's side, a green behemoth bursting free like a missile of fury. He stood, eyes locked onto the monster, and roared a challenge.
Evan's stomach tightened. What the hell is the military thinking? Are they seriously about to let two monsters slug it out in the middle of Manhattan? But then he paused. No—something was different this time. Hulk wasn't mindlessly smashing everything in sight. This monster… it seemed more in control.
And more than that—he had been a man just seconds ago.
The implications hit hard. If the military was bringing him in after the Culver incident, they must believe they had a way to contain him if things went south. Evan would hold on to that sliver of hope. If Iron Man wasn't showing up, and the military wasn't dropping bombs, this green titan might be the best chance they had.
But just as things seemed to tip in their favor, the brute let out an ear-splitting roar.
Its body bulged with new strength. With a single wild punch, it struck out, and its fist drove clean through the face of Evan's Man-Eater. The summoned creature shattered into glowing fragments.
Then before Evan could even blink, the monster grabbed Darkworld Thorns by either side of its plant-like maw—and ripped it in two.
But it wasn't free for long.
A shadow loomed overhead. The Hulk descended with both fists clasped, crashing into the beast with enough force to create a crater beneath them. He pounded into the monstrosity, blow after blow, until finally, the brute kicked up its legs and launched the Hulk halfway down the street and into the side of a building.
Gunfire opened up again from above—military helicopters, finally joining in. But now Evan could confirm something. They weren't just letting the two monsters fight—they had a clear intention of having the Hulk win. They were holding fire until the Hulk was clear, only opening up when their ally was safe.
The monster turned its rage skyward and leapt, beginning to climb the tallest building in the area. Its intent was clear—it wanted to bring down the helicopter.
Evan clenched his fists. No more waiting. The civilians should be clear by now. He needed them to be. Because his next move… it would leave nothing to shield them.
He descended to a narrow alley between two buildings and placed a hand on the ground.
This time, the fragment he summoned wasn't a creature.
It was a spell.
One that brought a change in the environment.
Wasteland.
From where he knelt, reality began to unravel. The pavement cracked and broke apart, buildings and vehicles crumbled into sand and dust, the ground itself warped into a dry, cracked expanse. The monster, halfway up the building, plummeted to the street below.
The Wasteland terrain spread until it reached the edge of the military's perimeter—then stopped, just as Evan had willed it to. He kept the spell's reach limited, restraining it with all his focus. He didn't want to level more of the city than necessary. He'd already make enough enemies by revealing himself to be the one behind all this destruction.
The street was silent for a heartbeat.
Then all eyes turned to him.
The monster roared and charged.
Halfway through its sprint, the Hulk intercepted it with a thunderous punch to the side of its face, sending it skidding across the makeshift battlefield.
There was no more running now.
No more hiding.
If the beast wanted to continue its destruction, it would have to get through all of them.
Evan exhaled and took a step forward, his eyes fixed on the creature as it struggled to rise.
The stage was set.
The arena prepared.
Now, it was time to go monster hunting.
——
The battle erupted once more, mirroring the one from before—a savage clash of titans. Each time their fists collided, shockwaves rippled through the ruined landscape, the force of their blows shaking the earth itself.
Evan itched to jump back in, to keep the pressure on the creature and back Hulk up—but he knew better. This was his chance to prepare. He had been looking for an opportunity to draw on his power again, this seemed like the right moment.
He had already made one draw: Fissure. It was a card that could definitely prove useful in this fight, but on its own, it wasn't enough. Worse, he would need a clear opening in the chaos to use it safely—without putting his own ally in danger.
He reached into his power once more. Beside the image of the dragon, a new figure had appeared—a winged, gothic creature shrouded in shadow, it had been there since his sixth draw. But he ignored it for now, focusing instead on The Legend of Blue Eyes White Dragon.
He sifted through his options, and one immediately stood out — Stop Defense. It could help the Hulk finish off the monstrosity. But he didn't slow down. He drew again, and this time, he found a summon that paired perfectly with Fissure. If he played it right, the combination might end the fight outright, leaving only a few finishing touches for the Hulk — with Stop Defense clearing the way.
That would be enough for now. He had what he needed — and he couldn't afford to miss the chance to end the fight decisively.
The Petite Angel fluttering around him burst into shimmering particles. Shaking off distractions, he turned his attention back to the battlefield below, staying aloft to avoid getting caught in the chaos of the slugfest.
The brutal clash dragged on, neither side gave an inch, their relentless exchange a blur of raw power and fury. But finally, with a deafening roar, the abomination planted its feet and drove a devastating uppercut into the Hulk's jaw. The force of the strike lifted the green titan clear off his feet, hurling him backward through the air like a ragdoll.
Evan didn't waste a second. As the monster lunged toward the fallen Hulk, eager to press its advantage, Evan dropped from the sky and landed a short distance behind it. Without hesitation, he drove his hand into the ground, calling forth the fragment he had prepared.
Fissure!
The ground beneath the Abomination's feet split open with a sharp crack, the earth tearing apart in an instant. The creature staggered as the soil crumbled beneath it, dropping into the gap up to its abdomen. Evan had been careful—not too wide, not too deep—just enough to trap the monster.
But the Abomination was already clawing its way out of the crevice—and Evan couldn't allow that. Before it could pull itself free, the ground shifted again. The creature slipped, fully falling back into the gap. From within the fissure, something began to slither upward—dark, earthen tendrils coiling around the abomination's limbs and torso, tightening with crushing force to hold it in place.
It was his latest draw—Sand Stone, a creature that thrived beneath the surface, its tentacles coiling around anything in its reach. Evan had only just discovered that summoning it required a tribute, an unexpected cost tied to the star symbols on the fragments. Like Witty Phantom had said, there was a logic to his power. One he'd barely begun to understand—he didn't have time to dwell on it now, he understood it clearly enough to act.
He had completed the summoning the moment he drew it, using Petite Angel as the tribute to bring forth Sand Stone.
The plan had worked. The abomination struggled against the trap, but the Hulk was already upon it. With only its arms to use against the brute force of the Hulk, and with its lower body still ensnared, the battle was drawing to a close.
It was only a matter of time before the Hulk finished the fight. All the creature could do was huddle under its massive arms, trying to shield itself from the onslaught. Every blow from the Hulk shook its body, each strike pushing it closer to defeat.
But Evan wasn't about to risk any more surprises. He swiftly cast his final card, Stop Defense. In an instant, the abomination's massive arms dropped limp at its sides, its guard completely undone.
What followed was pure, unrelenting brutality. The Hulk unleashed a barrage of punishing blows, each strike landing with bone-crushing force. Even Evan, filled with anger and disgust at the creature's rampage, couldn't help but feel a twinge of sympathy for it as it was battered without mercy.
It went on and on, Hulk's relentless fury showing no signs of slowing down, as if he wouldn't stop until the seemingly indestructible monster was reduced to nothing more than a broken heap on the ground. But then, amidst the pounding sound of fists on flesh, a female voice rang out loud.
"STOP!"
It came from the helicopter—a military official, perhaps? Whoever it was, her voice cut through, causing the Hulk to pause. His rage still simmered, but after a tense moment, he slowly stepped back, relinquishing his assault.
A few moments of silence passed before the Hulk acted again. With a grunt, he seized the unconscious body of the Abomination, now free from the grip of Sand Stone. And with a single powerful motion, he lifted it from the crevice and hurled it forward, sending the massive creature crashing to the ground. Then, his gaze shifted upward to the helicopter, and stayed for a while, as if waiting on something.
The moment didn't last long. The searchlights from an incoming helicopter sliced through the darkness, landing on the Hulk, and then another set of lights appeared, illuminating him from different angles.
The big guy's frustration was palpable. Hulk's eyes flicked back and forth, scanning the area, before his gaze settled on Evan. That brief glance sent a jolt of anxiety through him. Evan's heart raced—he wasn't ready for a fight with the green titan. Not after seeing the brutal pounding Hulk had just dished out to the other brute.
Words spilled out from a nervous Evan before he had time to think. "We beat the big bad bully and showed him who's stronger. No better way to become friends, don't you think, big guy?"
The Hulk grunted, a deep, guttural sound that still somehow seemed to resonate with a mix of pride and happiness. "Hulk the strongest, but weird-flying-Santa-guy can be second. After Hulk."
Without another word, he turned and with a series of thunderous leaps, surged away from the scene, his massive form disappearing into the distance. The spotlight from the helicopters followed him as he disappeared into the night, leaving Evan standing in the dust of their brutal victory.
Evan felt a whisper by his ear. "It would be best to leave now if you don't wish to be caught. I would not be able to conceal your retreat if they turn those blinding lights onto us."
He nodded. He cast one last glance across the battlefield—at the wreckage, the lingering threat of the military, and the fading image of the Hulk disappearing into the distance.
Without wasting another second, Evan willed the winds around him. He lifted off the ground, rising higher and higher, the battlefield below shrinking with each passing second.