NOVEL NEXT Chapter 307: Right or Wrong, I Care Not
Xu Wenwu waved his hand dismissively.
"The man who captured you, Zarah, has long since died. As for right or wrong, I've no interest in debating it. If you wish to hold me accountable, then I'll accept that karma and face you here."
To Wenwu, before he met his wife Ying Li, toppling governments had been routine. Kidnapping a wealthy industrialist meant little—superhero or not.
Tony's jaw tightened inside his helmet.
"Then I'll put a hole in your chest… the way you left one in me. Don't worry—you won't die today. The organizers will see to that. But you will know my pain."
Wenwu sneered.
"Little boy, then let's see whose hands speak louder."
In the stands, Pepper covered her mouth in shock. She too remembered the old footage she'd found on Tony's servers—the Ten Rings had been the ones who'd taken him. This wasn't just business; this was personal.
"Tony… defeat him. Don't let this man claim a wish."
Others in the crowd murmured as well. The kidnapping that had forged Iron Man, it seemed, had ties to this very man standing in the ring. The irony wasn't lost on them.
On the stage, Tony raised his gauntlet. His repulsor whined, then fired a brilliant beam of light straight at Wenwu—testing him.
"BOOM!"
But a single ring flew from Wenwu's arm, intercepting the blast with ease.
Tony's expression hardened. Shang-Chi and Xialing could never have withstood even one repulsor blast. This man… was no ordinary fighter.
Wenwu pressed forward, Ten Rings glowing with blue energy as he closed the gap.
Tony lifted both arms, firing off repulsor after repulsor, gauging Wenwu's speed and reflexes.
"CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!"
One ring deflected them all, spinning effortlessly before returning to Wenwu's arm.
Tony smirked.
"Let's see how you handle this."
Panels opened on his shoulders. Rows of miniature missiles hissed free, streaking toward Wenwu like a swarm of hornets.
"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!"
Explosions engulfed the arena, smoke and fire consuming Wenwu's figure.
"Father!" Xialing cried out, clutching the railing. Shang-Chi's fists tightened as his heart pounded.
But the other Ten Rings members remained calm. They knew their master. This display would not harm him.
Sure enough, a glowing ring whistled out of the smoke, slamming into Tony's chest.
"CLANG!"
The impact sent him flying backward. His thrusters roared as he stabilized just shy of the ring's edge. HUD alerts flared across his screen.
"Systems damaged. Armor integrity compromised."
Tony cursed. He should have worn the Edman-alloy suit.
As the smoke cleared, Wenwu emerged, unscathed, the Ten Rings orbiting him like wolves circling prey.
The audience gasped. To withstand that barrage without injury… even Iron Man's firepower seemed like toys.
Tony soared higher, his back-mounted launchers opening wide.
"All right then… let's empty the tank."
Dozens of heavy warheads dropped from his armor like falling stars, pelting the ring below.
"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!"
Firestorms erupted, blasting the arena to rubble. The titanium-gold flooring shattered under the relentless onslaught.
Eddie Brock had already scrambled to the far edge of the arena, shaking his head.
"Thank god I didn't compete… I'd be sludge by now."
Among the Eternals, Phastos adjusted his glasses, impressed despite himself.
"A functioning single-man battle suit… Earth's science has come farther than I thought."
Sersi asked softly, "Compared to yours?"
Phastos smirked.
"They're still centuries behind. But… that energy source… it's unique. Not Stark Industries' usual arc reactor."
The bombardment raged until Tony's magazines ran dry. The arena was left scorched and cratered, smoke rising into the sky.
Hovering above, Tony muttered, "JARVIS, lock him down."
"Apologies, sir. Thermal scans overwhelmed by residual heat. Combat power sensors remain offline due to earlier overload. Target cannot be tracked."
Tony's eyes narrowed. He knew what that meant. Wenwu was still alive.
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(End of Chapter)
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