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*Whoosh!*
With a single, precise strike from Madam Gao, an immense wave of energy erupted, surging forward like a relentless hurricane, sweeping everything in its path. However, Fisk, aware of Madam Gao's formidable strength from their previous encounter, was determined not to be caught off guard by her cunning tactics this time.
Despite his imposing frame, Fisk moved with remarkable agility. He deftly dodged her palm strike with a swift sidestep, evading it flawlessly.
*Boom!*
A thunderous crash echoed through the room as the shockwave slammed into the wall behind him, shattering the surface and leaving a massive, gaping crater in its wake. The sheer force of the attack was nothing short of terrifying. The raw power behind it was so intense that anyone without Fisk's nearly indestructible body would have been obliterated instantly.
"I've clearly underestimated your combat abilities," Madam Gao admitted, her voice laced with reluctant acknowledgment. A rare flicker of surprise flashed across her normally composed and unflappable face, betraying the respect she couldn't hide for his skill and resilience.
"Mutual respect, Madam," Fisk replied, his voice steady but laced with a hint of grim determination. "But between us, it's me who's truly shocked by what you're capable of. I never expected to see such power from someone like you."
He wasn't exaggerating in the slightest. Who could have possibly predicted that an elderly woman, seemingly frail and on the edge of death, possessed the ability to unleash such overwhelming and destructive power? The sheer contrast between her fragile appearance and the force she commanded was beyond comprehension.
The memory of her sending him sprawling with a single palm strike was still fresh in his mind. That moment hadn't just left him humiliated—it had left him utterly dumbfounded, questioning everything he thought he knew about his own strength and the world around him.
"Let's just see how far you can go," Madam Gao said coldly, her voice laced with a sharp challenge, daring him to push his limits. As her voice faded into silence, Murakami lunged forward again, his blade gleaming menacingly as it cut through the air, heading straight for Fisk with deadly precision.
*Clang! Clang! Clang!*
Blades and fists collided in a chaotic flurry of attacks, their clashes creating a grim symphony of steel and blade that echoed throughout the room. Fisk met Murakami's relentless strikes with calculated precision, the metallic ring of each parry filling the air. Despite the ferocity of the assault, Fisk stood his ground.
But Madame Gao wasn't one to waste an opportunity. As Murakami kept Fisk preoccupied with his relentless strikes, she quietly raised her hand, preparing to unleash another devastating attack.
*Swish!*
A powerful stream of water shot through the air, aimed directly at Madame Gao with pinpoint accuracy. At that moment, it became clear—Vanessa had entered the fray, her unexpected arrival adding a new layer of intensity to the battle.
But before the attack could make contact, a figure suddenly appeared, moving with lightning speed. A man with curly hair swiftly stepped in, his long sword cutting through the air with precision as it sliced cleanly through Vanessa's water blast, effortlessly halting its trajectory.
"A woman who controls water with her hands and a man with glowing red fists. Gao, you weren't exaggerating—this is truly intriguing," the man said, a cold smile on his face as he casually flicked the water from his blade.
Fisk's expression darkened as he instantly recognized the newcomer—one of the elite leaders of the Hand, a figure whose power and influence were on par with Madam Gao herself.
It was Bakuto, another key member of The Hand's inner circle, known for his formidable skills and ruthless reputation.
"Well, if you find her so intriguing, perhaps I should leave her to you," Madame Gao said, glancing at Bakuto with a cool, almost indifferent air.
"Gladly. I've been curious to see just how much water she can produce," Bakuto replied, a cruel grin spreading across his face as he charged toward Vanessa, sword raised.
"Vanessa!" Fisk bellowed, his voice thick with panic as he watched Bakuto charge toward her.
*Thud!*
But that brief moment of distraction was all Madame Gao required. With precise timing, she struck Fisk squarely in the chest, the force of the blow sending his massive frame staggering backward.
*Slash!*
Ever the opportunist, Murakami pressed his advantage, delivering a series of vicious slashes at Fisk. While Fisk's hardened body shielded him from serious injury, the blows came relentlessly, each strike testing his endurance.
*Ratatatat!*
Gunfire erupted nearby as Vanessa's bodyguards opened fire on Bakuto, trying to halt his advance. But Bakuto, one of the Five Fingers of the Hand, moved with an almost supernatural agility. He wove through the hail of bullets effortlessly, each movement as fluid as a dance. Not only did he evade every shot, but he also took out each of Vanessa's guards ruthlessly, leaving them no chance to retaliate.
"Now, no one is left to interrupt us," Bakuto said, shaking the blood from his blade as he flashed a menacing grin, his eyes locking onto Vanessa.
Vanessa's heart pounded in her chest, a surge of terror coursing through her. Despite her extensive training, she knew she was no match for someone of Bakuto's skill and experience.
"Vanessa!" Fisk's voice echoed through the chaos, filled with desperation. But he was trapped in the heat of battle, unable to break free and reach her in time.
Fisk's forces were hopelessly outmatched by the Hand's elite. Despite doubling his manpower since their last encounter, his men were still outnumbered and outclassed. The ninjas Madam Gao had brought with her were relentless, cutting through Fisk's ranks with brutal efficiency, leaving his men slaughtered and unable to retaliate.
Only Fisk and Bullseye's remarkable ability to harden their bodies had kept them alive this long, shielding them from the worst of the carnage.
*Whoosh!*
Bakuto lunged at Vanessa with the speed of a predator closing in on its prey. Overcome with panic, Vanessa raised her hands without thinking, releasing a powerful blast of water in a desperate attempt to stop him. The torrent was more forceful than before, its power amplified by the sheer desperation coursing through her veins.
The sheer volume and force of the water immediately caught Bakuto's attention, forcing him to nimbly dodge rather than risk confronting it head-on.
"Well, that's something," Bakuto said mockingly. "Color me impressed."
But his compliments offered no comfort. While Vanessa's attacks successfully stalled him, they were rapidly draining her energy. It was clear to everyone that this strategy couldn't hold for long—once she exhausted her water supply, she would be left defenseless.
Desperation drove her every move as she poured out every ounce of energy she had, unleashing wave after wave of water. But under Bakuto's unyielding pressure, there was no time for her to pause, let alone rehydrate.
And then, it happened.
*Splutter!*
Her hands shook with exhaustion as only a feeble spray of water sputtered from her fingertips. She was utterly spent.
"Well, well," Bakuto sneered, his grin stretching wider. "Looks like you're all out of tricks." He then lifted his sword, poised and ready to strike.
"Vanessa!" Fisk bellowed, throwing caution to the wind as he charged toward her.
*Boom!*
But before he could reach her, Madame Gao intercepted him with her relentless power. With a single, devastating strike, she sent him flying once again.
*Shing!*
Bakuto's sword came down like a streak of silver lightning, its deadly edge aimed straight at Vanessa's heart.
"Vanessa!" Fisk's roar was filled with raw despair as he watched helplessly, unable to intervene in time.
Just as the sword was about to strike, a brilliant golden light erupted, dazzling and blinding everyone in its radiant glow, like the sun breaking through a storm, cutting through the chaos instantly.
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Next Chapter: A Flash of Gold, One Kick at a Time
Next Next Chapter: Annihilation in One Move
Next Next Next Chapter: The Arrival of Nick Fury
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