What?
Hearing Richard's words, even the seasoned Natasha was momentarily stunned.
She never would have expected such a question from Richard at this critical moment when battle seemed imminent. Though uncertain of his intent, she immediately attempted to defuse the situation.
"We're not here to arrest you," she explained, "we just happened to be passing by."
Natasha spoke truthfully. But she remained oblivious to why Hulk had forced his way out, failing to realize her words were inflaming Hulk's desire to prove himself to her.
"I know you're not here to arrest me," Richard replied, "but the big guy next to you is brimming with fighting spirit. Looks like he won't be satisfied until he tests himself against me."
Richard raised his left hand, pointing the Masamune at Hulk.
Seeing the blade directed at him, Hulk lifted his massive right leg and stomped forcefully, leaving a pronounced crater in the street. With the impact point as its center, cracks radiated outward in all directions like a spider's web. Simultaneously, Hulk spread his arms and released another bestial roar, reminiscent of a silverback gorilla asserting dominance.
Richard disregarded Hulk's display and addressed Natasha again.
"If you don't want to see this big guy and me reduce San Francisco to rubble, I suggest you distance yourself from the fight."
"If you're accidentally injured or killed, he'll lose all restraint."
After delivering this warning, Richard maneuvered the two-meter-long Masamune with casual grace. Then he elevated the blade to eye level, edge facing upward, left hand forward and right hand supporting from behind—assuming a two-handed grip he rarely employed.
Though Sephiroth's dominant hand was his left, he only utilized a two-handed grip when facing truly formidable opponents. One-handed technique signaled he hadn't yet committed his full strength.
The same principle applied to Richard. In all previous encounters, he had wielded his sword single-handed. This marked the first instance he had adopted a two-handed stance.
Hulk possessed no swordsmanship knowledge, yet upon witnessing Richard's posture, his bestial demeanor immediately shifted. A serious expression settled on his face as his enormous green eyes fixated on Richard.
Observing Hulk's sudden "calm" and Richard's combat stance, Natasha recognized she could no longer prevent their confrontation. Without further comment, she followed the example of the earlier dispersed crowd and young mutants, quickly retreating to a safer position over a hundred meters away.
As she withdrew, she retrieved her phone and contacted personnel from S.H.I.E.L.D.'s San Francisco branch. She wasn't summoning agents to intervene in the fight but rather requesting their presence to "maintain order" and manage the aftermath.
Once Natasha had cleared the area, Richard and Hulk launched their attacks simultaneously, displaying remarkable synchronicity.
Their legs tensed in unison as they charged toward each other. Within an eyeblink, they closed to optimal combat distance.
Hulk raised his fist—larger than an ordinary human head—and drove it forcefully toward Richard's chest.
Richard swung the Masamune, aiming to intercept Hulk's attack.
BOOM!
Hulk's mighty fist collided violently with Richard's blade. A thunderous report accompanied the impact as a visible shockwave emanated from the point of contact, expanding outward at alarming speed and shattering the windows of surrounding buildings and vehicles.
As expected of the Hulk! Phenomenal physical strength!
Richard inwardly acknowledged his opponent's power, then lightly tapped the ground with his right foot, retreating more than ten meters as if unaffected by gravity.
Despite Richard's withdrawal, Hulk didn't pursue. Instead, he examined his right fist with mild surprise. A shallow but distinct laceration marked the middle knuckle.
Richard hadn't deployed techniques like Octoslash or Gravesong—he had merely enhanced the Masamune's sharpness and durability with magic. Yet even this modest augmentation had proven sufficient to penetrate Hulk's skin.
The blade hadn't fully pierced Hulk's fist, having been stopped by the middle finger's phalanx. Hulk recognized that his body wasn't completely impervious to all attacks, but he hadn't expected injury from a sword that appeared breakable with minimal force.
Though the wound was minor, it surprised him nonetheless.
While Hulk assessed his injury, Richard evaluated his opponent's capabilities. Judging from their initial exchange, Hulk significantly outmatched him in raw strength. Fortunately, Hulk's power wasn't as absurdly exaggerated as his comic book counterpart's. Had that been the case, even Richard's force-dissipating techniques wouldn't have allowed him to contend with Hulk in direct confrontation.
Compared to ordinary humans, Alpha-level mutant powers were indeed extraordinary. Yet measured against the Hulk—Marvel's archetypal powerhouse—even Alpha-level abilities seemed inadequate.
When Hulk's attention shifted from his wounded fist, Richard seized the opportunity to attack again without hesitation. He appeared before Hulk almost instantaneously, as if flying, and executed another sword swing.
This time, rather than challenging Hulk's strength directly, he targeted the green behemoth's neck.
In raw power, Richard couldn't match Hulk. But in comprehensive combat ability, Hulk couldn't hope to match Richard.
Though lacking Richard's refined combat skills, Hulk's reactions remained formidable. Before the Masamune could connect, Hulk raised his right hand to deflect the incoming blade while simultaneously launching his left fist toward Richard's head with astonishing speed.
Naturally, Richard had no intention of testing his skull against Hulk's punch.
Shift Slash!
One moment Richard stood before Hulk; the next, he materialized behind him.
Before Hulk could react, the Masamune carved across his back, leaving a wound spanning his entire width. Unusual green blood surged from the laceration, streaming down Hulk's massive frame.
Though unable to locate Richard visually, the pain flowering across his back informed Hulk of his opponent's position. Ignoring the discomfort, Hulk forcefully propelled himself backward toward Richard like a fully-accelerated freight train.
Had Richard been facing Department of Mutant Affairs agents, they would never have employed such tactics. Rather than exposing their backs to Richard, they would have created distance or pivoted to counterattack.
But Hulk operated by different principles. For him, combat methodology was irrelevant—only intent mattered. If he deemed an approach viable—be it charging backward or grabbing an opponent's ankles to use them as a makeshift flail—he would execute it without hesitation.
From a certain perspective, Hulk's fighting style resembled Sabretooth's; both relied primarily on physical instinct rather than technique.
Confronted with Hulk's counterattack, Richard didn't retreat. Instead, he raised his right hand.
Repulsion!
BANG!
A tremendous concussion, reminiscent of an explosion, reverberated through the area.
Before the eyes of distant onlookers, Hulk—who had attempted to collide with Richard—was repelled like a well-struck golf ball, his massive form describing a perfect parabolic arc through the air.
...
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