Marvel With Zanpakutou

A Giant’s Strike!

Steve, in a state of extreme emotional agitation, swung with all his strength in a furious blow that tore straight through the raging blizzard.

The thunderous boom in the sky rivaled the roar of spring thunder, detonating across the vast, empty ice field. A visible torrent of spiritual power took the shape of a massive dragon, and wherever it passed, terrifying ripples and surges followed, unleashing an unparalleled destructive force.

The thick layers of solid ice shattered inch by inch, dense cracks spreading like a spider’s web for hundreds of meters.

Directly ahead of Steve, along a straight line several hundred meters long, everything visible to the naked eye was obliterated by the devastating fist wind infused with spiritual power, even "drilling" a transparent path through the very air itself.

Wooooo

The blizzard, swept up by the raging wind, surged back into the empty space, making a sound like mournful wailing.

The Siberian plain’s ice-covered surface was forcibly plowed into a trench over a hundred meters long.

The monster, arrogant and domineering just seconds ago, was now reduced to fine pulp by a single punch, scattered evenly through the trench. Gallons of blood, by the ton, dyed the surrounding area a chilling red.

After throwing that punch, the flames of rage in Steve’s heart receded.

Without the fuel of vengeance, an overwhelming exhaustion suddenly swept over him. His whole body felt as though it were falling apart, every muscle and bone screamed in agony, the searing pain sending warning signals through his brain.

Then his vision went black, and he collapsed onto the ice field.

All the injuries he’d sustained earlier piled together, combined with the near-complete drain of his stamina. He had already been teetering on the brink of collapse, and the relief after avenging Bucky was the final straw that broke him.

But... the danger was far from over.

The Hollows transformed by the high-grade reishi bait numbered well over a hundred.

Even counting the ones blasted to death by his punch, and the unlucky ones caught in the collateral damage, nearly a hundred still remained.

After devouring all the Hydra soldiers, the Hollows caught the scent of an especially delicious soul. One after another, they locked onto the unconscious Steve, the tempting aura telling them that if they could eat this one man, they would be able to ascend even higher.

In pure numbers, devouring one Steve Rogers was the equivalent of consuming the souls of more than a hundred ordinary humans.

For a low-class Hollow, once the number of consumed souls surpassed a hundred, it would automatically evolve into a high-class Gillian. This was an instinctive, insatiable desire etched deep into every Hollow’s soul, an unremovable greed, and the very first step toward the peak.

ROAR!

Over a hundred Hollows, like starving hyenas, rushed toward Steve, eager to either have him for themselves or share the feast.

Chaotic footprints stamped into the muddy snow, the blizzard surged like a rolling tide, and one grotesque monster after another sprinted at full speed toward the unconscious man.

Some Hollows, afraid of falling behind their peers, even turned on one another in savage brawls for the prize.

The scene was utter chaos. The internal war between Hollows was several times more brutal than hunting prey.

Roars, howls, wails, and screams... countless sounds overlapped and echoed across the vast ice field. Those who lost the struggle left broken limbs and trails of blood behind, a strangely theatrical display.

"...Hm? What’s with all that noise?"

The man who had been interrogating Dr. Zola was startled by the Hollows’ cries, noticing the disturbance in the distance.

When his gaze fell on the unconscious Steve lying in the snow, a trace of confusion and puzzlement crossed his brow. A strange feeling of familiarity surged in his chest, as though he’d met this man before.

The feeling was... very familiar.

Since losing his past memories, it was rare for him to feel this kind of tremor in his heart.

"Steve... Rogers..."

A name suddenly surfaced in his mind, making the man freeze in stunned silence for half a second.

Fragmented, incomplete shards of memory began to flicker in his mind, flashing past like a revolving lantern. In the few broken images that remained, he vaguely remembered that this person seemed to be very important, someone connected to something he had to do.

In the instant the man’s mind was racing, the strongest Hollow had already charged up close, its massive blood-red maw opening wide.

Just as Steve Rogers was about to meet his end, a streak of golden light came hurtling in from afar.

Rumble!

The golden light tore through the air with a terrifying sonic boom, carrying with it wind and snow like a mighty dragon.

Thunderous roars echoed through the skies, blasting apart the surrounding blizzard and ice layers. The sound was like the charge of a million troops, so vast in momentum it seemed to pierce the clouds, radiating an unmistakably intense hostility.

But unfortunately, no matter how fast that golden light was, it could not outpace the Hollow’s fangs.

"Stop!"

With an angry, thunderous shout, two golden beams shot through the air.

Before the Hollow could react, the beams pierced straight through its mask, and its entire body dissolved into spirit particles.

"Hm?"

The man’s brow arched slightly, seemingly surprised.

These monsters weren’t particularly strong, but they were extremely troublesome to deal with. The only way to kill them was with a force capable of destroying the soul, something that, as far as he knew, only he himself could do.

Yet those two golden beams had also been able to destroy a soul.

The power was different from his own, and that fact piqued his interest.

"Was all this... your doing?"

The golden light stopped beside Steve, taking in the carnage all around. Shock rippled through him, then anger surged as he demanded sharply, "Who exactly are you? Why did you create these creatures?"

"That question isn’t important."

The man’s gaze was calm as he replied evenly, "What matters is, are you here to avenge them?"

The golden light slowly dispersed, revealing a young man with short golden hair. He was handsome and imposing, with piercing eyes the color of molten gold, clad in a suit of battle armor made from some unknown material.

"Human, you have broken a taboo. You should never have created such creatures."

The golden-haired youth’s eyes sharpened, a chill of killing intent flickering within. "Monsters that feed on humans should not exist in this world. If you confess your crime now and accept punishment, I will spare your life."

Interesting... truly interesting...

This thing without even a soul actually possesses the power to destroy one.

The man’s eyes roamed over the golden-haired figure, his curiosity spiking sharply, so much so that he even wanted to cut him open to see what exactly he was made of.

"Human, what are you looking at?"

Being stared at like that made the golden-haired youth feel deeply uncomfortable. That gaze was as if looking at livestock awaiting slaughter. As one of the supreme Eternals, proud protector and forerunner of humanity, how could he tolerate such a near-insulting look?

"Oh, I’m looking at you."

The man answered honestly, "A creation without a soul, akin to a puppet, yet possessing such high intelligence, and even mastery over soul-destroying power. Tell me, what exactly are you?"

"Human, your ignorance and arrogance have succeeded in angering me!"

The golden-haired youth’s killing intent rippled through the void, the surrounding blizzard melting away. "Remember my name, Eternal, Ikaris! By the supreme law of the Eternals, I hereby sentence you... to death!!!"