After dealing with the surrounding Chitauri soldiers, Kagura Hitomi dusted off her outfit and set off toward Stark Tower.
She had prepared for a prolonged battle, relying mainly on melee weapons from her auxiliary modules and using her core abilities sparingly.
[Core Energy Remaining: 73%]
Good. That should last for a while.
Now, it was time for the "Stark Super Lightwave Tower Energy Recharge Mission!"
Steve Rogers and his team were the last to receive the battle plan.
Since Steve was not yet connected to Griffin Security's communication channel, explaining everything over the comms would have been too difficult.
Instead of having Natasha or Bucky relay the message, Kagura decided to deliver it personally.
Before that, she had already shared the plan with Tony Stark, who then passed it along to Thor and the other Avengers.
With the mission briefing completed, the next challenge was figuring out how to get to the top of Stark Tower.
The long-range microwave transmission device was located at the very top, and charging it up to 3000% output required Kagura's electromagnetic control abilities.
Her skills allowed her to efficiently channel Thor's lightning or inject her own high-energy electromagnetic pulses into the transmitter, minimizing energy loss.
If they relied solely on Iron Man's arc reactor or Thor's lightning, the Chitauri might already be attacking Moscow before they reached the required energy level.
Although Stark Tower wasn't far, Kagura's current gear lacked flight capabilities.
Unlike the "Assault Module," which was designed for comprehensive combat, the "Ten Thousand Blades: Type One" module prioritized endurance by sacrificing flight mobility in favor of short-range maneuverability and sustained weapon energy supply.
That left only one option:
Taking the elevator!
Pfft! Yeah, right! Like she'd get upstairs in such a ridiculous way!
Pouting, Kagura activated the mobility enhancement devices on her legs.
Time was money.
The fastest way up was to run straight up the building's exterior!
After slashing through another wave of Chitauri blocking her path, Kagura arrived at the base of Stark Tower.
She was now within the defensive perimeter controlled by Steve Rogers, Natasha Romanoff, and Bucky Barnes. Any further Chitauri attacks would be intercepted.
She sheathed her blades, faced the towering structure, and crouched into a sprinting stance.
["White Moon" Combat Suit Fully Charged.]
[Mobility Enhancement Module Activated.]
[Short-Term Boost: Activated.]
Among all the concept-based abilities she had acquired since arriving in this world, her short-term boost skill was by far the most useful.
It had minimal energy consumption—only 5%—yet was incredibly powerful, allowing her to accelerate past the speed of sound for 20 seconds.
Versatile and efficient, it was practically a cheat-level skill.
Could it be upgraded?
Was there a way to make it even better?
[Memory Fragment Scan Confirmed.]
[New Mobility Concept Skill Acquired.]
[Charged 3D Maneuvering / Level 2]
[Consumes 2% core energy per activation, allowing supersonic acceleration for 10 seconds while granting gravity-defying maneuverability.]
[Note: This skill will replace "Short-Term Boost."]
Holy—! Thank you, System Mom! Love you!
Kagura quickly did the math—using just 5% energy would now give her 25 seconds of acceleration instead of 20.
A net gain! Not to mention, she'd also gain gravity-defying movement, meaning she could fly short distances without any additional gear.
Best. Upgrade. Ever.
Giddy with excitement, Kagura used half of her remaining 10 QP to activate the skill.
[Short-Term Boost / Level 5: Upgraded.]
[Charged 3D Maneuvering / Level 2: Activated.]
Alright!
She focused, eager to try out her new ability, and activated it without hesitation.
[Charged 3D Maneuvering: Activated.]
'Boom!'
A flash of blue energy pulsed across her body.
With a powerful leap, Kagura shot into the air, leaving behind a crater and a shockwave at her launch point.
Oh my god, this feels amazing!
Dashing along the exterior of Stark Tower, she repeatedly activated her new skill, rocketing toward the top floor.
Nothing compared to the freedom of running and flying at will. It felt like swimming through an infinite ocean of stars, a boundless expanse where—
BANG!
"Waaah!"
Lost in the moment, Kagura failed to notice an obstacle ahead and slammed headfirst into Stark Tower's protruding helicopter pad.
"Ugh… That hurts! QAQ!"
She tumbled over the platform, deactivating her skill, and squatted down, clutching her head in pain.
There are a thousand ways to travel, but safety comes first.
Reckless driving leads to regretful tears…
"Yo, Hitomi. You made it."
Tony Stark smirked as he watched Kagura climb onto the rooftop.
"That's… quite a unique way to get upstairs. Is this another one of Rhodes Island's tech innovations?"
"Of course!" Kagura rubbed her sore forehead, then grinned proudly. "Wanna learn? I can teach you!"
"No thanks. My Iron Man suit can fly."
Hmph!
So what if you can fly?!
Big deal!
I can fly now too!
Hmph!
"What's the situation?" she asked, pushing aside her internal rant.
"As far as I know, Loki was supposed to be here. Where is he? He didn't escape again, did he?"
Kagura's core ability, [Puppet Form], shared a connection with her main body's senses.
While her puppet had been pummeling Loki earlier, she had also pinpointed his location.
So where was he now?
"Loki? He's over there. Seems like he's sulking."
Tony pointed to a corner of the room.
Loki sat there, knees drawn to his chest, looking pitifully at Kagura with a "Are you here to bully me again?" expression.
Covered in dust, sporting several bruises, he looked like he had been beaten up repeatedly.
For an Asgardian—or rather, a Frost Giant—such minor injuries were rare, signifying that he had taken quite a beating. Normally, beings like him were nearly invulnerable.
"What? What are you looking at? Gonna hit me again?" Loki sighed in defeat. "If you're going to smash me a third time, you might be missing a hammer."
"Pfft—" Kagura giggled behind her hand. "Looks like you've really learned your lesson, Brother."
"'Brother'?"
"Didn't you know?" She smiled sweetly. "Technically, Thor is my sworn brother, so calling you 'big bro' isn't too much, is it?"
"Hah…" Loki sighed deeply as if staring into a dark, inescapable abyss. "Do whatever makes you happy."
"Save the flirting for later, or I might consider finishing Loki off for good." Tony rolled his eyes.
"The microwave emitter is fully deployed, but we need 3000% power output to hit our target in orbit. Can we generate that much energy in time?"
"Mr. Stark, as you can see, this is a serious challenge." Kagura grinned. "But who says it's impossible? We won't know unless we try."