Ebony Blade's expression hardened as she took in the figure of Ivon Fyodor. The name, the presence, it all spoke of a level of power that sent a chill down her spine.

  The Steel Titan. An A-Rank super-villain.

  For if the C-Ranks were one-man terrorist squadrons, and B-Ranks were one-man armies… then the A-Ranks were living, breathing WMDs or natural disasters in human form. They were not just capable of conquering entire nations… but capable of destroying them by leveling their cities and infrastructure by raw power alone. And Ivon Fyodor was strong even by their standards.

  "Kaiju Man, Josh, retreat while I—"

  She couldn't even finish the sentence. Steel Titan moved with impossible speed, a silver blur that defied perception. Having gotten behind her in an instant, he struck the back of her skull with his hand. The force of the blow sent Ebony Blade flying before she then crashed into a wall, and her world went dark.

  “Ebony Blade!" Kaiju-Man roared, shock and horror flooding his system. He then transformed into his gigantic green reptilian Kaiju form and lunged at the Steel Titan, a living building of scales and fury.

  But the Russian was already moving. Before Kaiju-Man could bring his massive fist down, Steel Titan delivered a gut punch with terrifying force. The air was forced from Kaiju-Man's lungs in a sickening whoosh, and the giant form crumpled, transforming back into the comparatively vulnerable human form of the hero Steel Titan, in a brutal show of force, then pressed his foot down on the fallen hero's head, the weight immense, the pressure threatening to crush bone.

  “Pity that you waste your power on helping the weak, you heroes…" he said, his voice a cold, hard rasp. "When you can't even help yourselves."

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  Yet before he could crush Kaiju-Man's skull, the Steel Titan then heard a voice calling out behind him.

  “Fulmen!” (Lightning bolt)

  Josh called as the lightning spell surged from his elven dagger, zapping and knocking the Steel Titan back, buying the heroes a few more precious moments.

  “So, you managed to move me," Steel Titan commented, a cruel grin spreading across his pale face. "Perhaps there is something that can be salvaged from this mission after all."

  Josh didn't reply. He dismissed his conjured dagger with a flick of his wrist, his mind racing. He needed something more, something that could take down this villain. Yet if he fought at his current level, the entire city might be collateral damage. And so Josh reached into his pocket dimension, preparing to draw forth a weapon that could help him.

  But before he could act, another figure arrived. Blue Lock, his face grim, slid to a halt beside him. "Stand back, kid," he said, his voice tight with urgency. "Help the others escape. I'll handle him."

  Steel Titan's smirk widened, a predatory gleam in his eyes. "Blue Lock," he rumbled, a hint of dark amusement in his voice. "It's been a while… let's see if you are still as soft as you were when I first met you.”

  Blue Lock's expression was cold, his gaze fixed on the Russian. The usual cocky smirk was gone, replaced by a focused intensity. "Assuming that you will survive this time…” he responded, his voice low and dangerous.

  The air crackled with anticipation. Both hero and villain emanated a palpable aura of raw physical power. Blue Lock settled into a stance, his muscles coiled and ready, every fiber of his being ready to unleash a devastating attack. Steel Titan mirrored him, his own form radiating an almost casual, yet terrifying, strength. The ruined base held its breath, the fate of the city about to be decided by a contest of pure, overwhelming power.