Under the blazing sun of the Sahara Desert, the scorching heat distorted the air.
Usually silent and desolate, the golden sea of sand had become the stage for an intense and explosive battle—something that hadn't happened in this place for centuries.
After all, even the world's top special forces wouldn't dare attempt combat in such an unforgiving environment.
Simply surviving in the heart of the Sahara would be a struggle, let alone fighting.
But this wasn't a concern for Tony Stark, who was fully protected by his Iron Man suit.
As for Kagura, she didn't mind the heat at all—being a humanoid android, extreme temperatures meant little to her.
She was only sweating slightly due to surface heat dispersion.
Even drenched in sweat from head to toe, it wouldn't hinder her combat ability in the slightest—right?
Their opponents weren't human, but mechanical lifeforms.
Unlike organic beings, these machines operated in much higher temperature ranges.
Even when the surrounding temperature exceeded 100°C, their systems remained unaffected. They couldn't care less about the Sahara's blistering heat.
———————————————————————
"Hitomi, watch your right flank," Tony Stark warned. "These mechanical soldiers are well-organized and clearly working in formation."
"Two of them are laying down suppressive fire from a distance, and another one's projecting an energy shield to cover them!"
"Vmmm—!"
The moment he finished speaking, a crimson energy pulse streaked toward Kagura.
Unfazed, Kagura raised the energy shield mounted on her forearm, effortlessly deflecting the blast. "Got it. Don't worry—leave it to me!"
[Target locked.]
[Quantum matter-energy conversion system online.]
[Deploying miniature subspace electromagnetic missile array]
In one swift motion, she spun around and swung her arm.
From her "White Moon" combat suit, a shimmering cloud of energy-synthesized micro-missiles burst forth, streaking across the sky toward the mechanical enemies.
Light trailed behind them, tracing intricate patterns through the air like glowing flowers blooming in midair.
'BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!'
Explosions rocked the battlefield.
The enemy soldiers who'd been firing from afar, along with the shield unit defending them, were obliterated by Kagura's micro-missiles.
This was the power of miniaturized tech—leveraging nanotechnology to drastically reduce the size and weight of weapons, without sacrificing destructive force.
"Whoa! Hitomi, where do you even store all those weapons?" Tony exclaimed in amazement. "Is that all nanotech? That's incredible!"
He was genuinely surprised at how far her "White Moon" combat suit had evolved. It now seemed capable of manifesting a full arsenal on the fly, almost like magic.
Despite being a sleek, almost sensual bodysuit, it clearly outperformed even his most advanced Iron Man armor.
Tony Stark's pride, it seemed, was taking one hit after another.
"Umm, Mr. Stark, this isn't just nanotech," Kagura said cheerfully as she weaved through enemy lines, glowing wings trailing behind her.
She and Iron Man moved in perfect sync, covering and supporting one another.
"This is top-secret, super-classified Kagura-brand high-tech! Even for you, I'm not giving away all my secrets!"
She wasn't exaggerating.
If Tony knew that her suit integrated not just nanotech, but Asgardian technology, dark energy systems, dark matter composites, quantum matter-energy conversion, and even pieces of Chitauri tech… well, let's just say his face would be very interesting to look at.
"Hmph! You little brat, playing coy now, are you?" Tony laughed. "Well, no matter—Stark Industries will catch up soon enough! No way I'm letting Iron Man tech fall behind."
"Oh, I'll be watching!" Kagura replied with a grin. "Just don't end up making your next nano-armor look like a cute anime girl!"
"Oh? But that actually sounds like a great idea—every time I hear it, I like it even more!"
"Nope! That's a hard no from me!"
———————————————————————
Even as they chatted, the battlefield remained dangerous.
Despite the losses, over thirty mechanical soldiers still surrounded them.
They regrouped, reorganized, and launched an even more coordinated and aggressive assault.
"Kagura, this isn't looking good," Tony analyzed quickly. "They're spread out, not bunching together. That formation plays to their numbers—it's smart."
"If we don't end this fast, we're headed for a long and exhausting battle."
"I know," Kagura replied, eyes scanning the battlefield. "I'm looking for the right spot. If I can find it, I'll wipe them all out in one go."
"All of them?" Tony chuckled. "You're seriously planning to take out an entire squad of machines with firepower rivalling War Machine… in one move?"
"Hehehe."
Kagura giggled mischievously. "If that's what you want, then that's what you'll get, Mr. Stark!"
"Watch out—four of them with vibranium blades are charging your position!" Tony warned urgently. "Don't get hurt, okay? I'd be heartbroken."
"Don't jinx it, dammit!"
With that, Kagura's glowing wings surged with power as she launched herself forward.
The silver-haired girl's slim, agile form danced between the mechanical soldiers like a swallow flitting through the forest—graceful, swift, and deadly.
What a breathtaking Valkyrie she was.
What a mesmerizing vision of battle!
'Clang! Clang! Clang!'
Sparks flew and shrapnel scattered in the air.
With just a few agile movements, Kagura summoned a pair of vibranium blades from her combat suit.
She spun gracefully, like a dancer performing a deadly waltz, slicing through every machine soldier foolish enough to engage her in close combat.
'Seriously now—who gave you the confidence to try melee against me?'
[All targets locked.]
[Optimal attack window secured.]
[Combat skill ready.]
The Infinite Concept System's holographic UI lit up in front of her eyes.
Thanks to her fluid positioning, she had entered the perfect formation to annihilate all remaining enemies in one fell swoop.
"Perfect."
Retracting the blade in her left hand, she gripped her right-hand sword with both hands.
"Let's end this warm-up. After all… there's still an entire mechanical city left to fight."
Just as she prepared to unleash her concept skill, something deep within her stirred—an immense, hidden power quietly awakened.
[Core awakening confirmed.]
[Infinity Stone activation: verified.]
[New ability acquired: Reality Rewrite.]
Excellent.
Then let's do this.
Kagura accepted the power without hesitation—it was now a part of her.
Scarlet energy patterns surged from within her, coiling around the vibranium blade in her right hand.
The silver edge of the sword began to change, morphing into a blade of ethereal blue crystal.
The hilt turned pearly white, and an ornate ice flower formed into a delicate guard.
This wasn't just the result of quantum-matter conversion tech.
No engineer from Rhodes Industries could've created such elegant detail.
These embellishments weren't practical, weren't necessary—and yet they existed.
This was the product of one thing only: Reality Rewrite.
[Reality Rewrite complete.]
[Pseudo Armament: Frozen Sky.]
Kagura raised the stunning ice-forged blade high above her head. Her golden eyes flashed with icy brilliance.
This blade wasn't born of this world—it came from the depths of memory, channeled through the endless sea of quantum probability.
It held the power to cut through space and time itself.
[Pseudo Armament activated. Special ability deployed.]
[Simulated Barrier: Frozen Sky.]
A colossal field of frost expanded outward.
In the middle of the sweltering Sahara Desert… a frigid wind suddenly howled.
Within the boundary of the ice barrier, the mechanical soldiers—once nimble and relentless—slowed, then froze solid where they stood.
A scene that defied all laws of science left even Iron Man speechless.
The stage was set. Time for the final blow.
The silver-haired girl sheathed her sword, then burst forward in a blur—
and in the same breath, unleashed a single devastating strike from her crystalline blade.
'Whoosh—!'
A brilliant flash of light!
For a heartbeat, the world turned silver and white.
And in a desert that hadn't seen rain for a century… snow began to fall.
[Reality Rewrite used. QP -10.]
[Current QP remaining: 50.]
"…"
"This is a pay-to-win skill?! I even have to spend QP for it?!"