Boom——!!!
The hard knuckles slammed into his cheek, and his jawbone instantly shattered and caved in.
An indescribably terrifying force came like a mountain pressing down and crushing rotten wood. Ikaris's head was forcefully "pressed" down by the fist and slammed heavily into the ground. The hard cement collapsed and shattered like blocks of tofu.
The bursting air wave rushed against the top of the passage, shaking the entire passage.
Thick smoke and dust spread out, accompanied by the huge sound of impact, echoing through the passage for a long time without stopping.
Half of Ikaris's head was sunk into the cement, his jawbone shattered by one punch, causing that handsome face to look somewhat crooked now. Blood was gushing out from his seven orifices, truly miserable beyond words.
If it had been the head of an ordinary person, it would have been smashed into rotten mud and fragments no matter what.
But although the Eternals might not be particularly good at anything else, their thick skin and toughness were first-rate. Even after taking such a heavy punch, Ikaris remained conscious, and the fire of humiliation spread through his chest, almost about to spray from his splitting eyes.
He, the Prime Eternal, the strongest warrior in a thousand years, was actually being pressed to the ground and rubbed by a human?
If this kind of thing were told to others, it would probably make the other members of his race laugh their teeth off.
Losing face was secondary, since not many people knew anyway.
The key was that he had boasted that he would not let a single person pass, yet in the end, he still let one escape. Was this not slapping himself in the face?
Steve's expression changed slightly. He suddenly noticed that the man suppressed beneath his fist had a brilliant golden light burst from his eyes, carrying extremely terrifying energy fluctuations, and he subconsciously wanted to withdraw his fist and retreat.
But in the end, he was still a step too late.
Ikaris, who had already predicted his reaction, fired two beams without hesitation.
Although the angle was slightly slanted and could not hit a vital point, to a human, even Steve with special abilities, if he took this head-on, he would probably lose his combat ability on the spot.
"The giant's right arm!"
Steve was shocked in his heart, and his right arm transformed into the giant form, using the shield to block.
The golden beams at close range were even more powerful than before, like thousands of tons of explosives exploding before his eyes. The enormous impact struck the shield, and Steve could not help spraying out a mouthful of hot blood. His entire body was pushed flying by the golden beams.
Boom boom boom boom...
After breaking through several meters of thick underground pipes in succession, Steve was directly blasted up to the surface.
Ikaris slowly rose from the ground, placed both hands on his crooked jaw, and with a "crack," forcibly twisted the dislocated bones back into place. Expressionlessly, he looked up at the broken hole, then stomped the ground hard and shot upward like a cannonball.
Before Steve could adjust his stance, he saw a golden light shooting out from underground.
The next moment, a fist without the slightest mercy smashed heavily into his nasal bridge. The enormous force even made Steve suspect that he had been hit by a cannonball, and his entire body once again flew backward diagonally.
A scorching wave of fire was drawn through the air, and the piercing sonic boom overturned the cars on the long street.
Steve fell into the center of the road like a meteor descending from the heavens. The air wave erupted by the impact rushed more than ten meters high, and the huge sonic boom shattered the glass on both sides of the street. Countless pedestrians had no time to react before they were sent flying by the following air wave, and for a time, cries of pain filled the area.
"You forced me into this... Steve Rogers."
Ikaris floated in midair, wearing the Eternals' battle armor, and said coldly, "Originally, I only wanted to stop you. Since you insist on seeking death, I will fulfill your wish."
Actually, from the very beginning, he had not planned to use his full strength.
The reason was not some boring thought like pity or reluctance, but because he was wary of Jugram Haschwalth.
Although he was not clear on the exact location, judging from the number of times Haschwalth had appeared, he could be certain that the Wandenreich's headquarters was established somewhere in New York. Making a huge commotion in this kind of place was no different from courting death.
Once Haschwalth locked onto him, he did not dare guarantee that he could escape.
If he had not lost his head for a moment and been angered by Steve, Ikaris absolutely would not have used his full power.
Unfortunately, saying this now was already too late.
The only thing he could do to make up for it was kill Steve as quickly as possible, then immediately flee New York.
"It's over, Captain America."
Golden light gathered in Ikaris's eyes, and terrifying energy fluctuations shook the void, triggering waves of tide-like turbulence.
Boom——!
Two blazing beams as thick as buckets descended from the sky like divine punishment swords.
For a time, the darkness above the entire street was illuminated by that dazzling golden light, as if it were daytime, radiating endless light and heat. A terrifying storm poured down like a mountain flood, about to destroy everything in the most cruel and domineering manner!
"Huff——!"
Yet in the deep pit, Steve exhaled like thunder.
Amid the deafening roar, each section of his spine rose high, and his surging aura was pushed to the peak. Spiritual power turned into raging waves that stirred the surrounding space, then was pushed in one breath into that pale left arm.
Like forcefully drawing a strong bow, Steve stretched both arms to the limit.
Accompanied by a high-pitched roar like a dragon's cry, the muscles of the demon-like left arm suddenly expanded several times, like an iron pillar forged from refined steel. Carrying an unstoppable surging fighting intent, facing the golden sword of divine punishment descending from the sky, he threw the strongest punch of his life so far.
"Strike of the Demon!"
Boom! Boom!
Rumble!!!
Two thunderous roars as if from the ancient era shattered the air turbulence over the hundred-meter-long street.
Completely different energies surged and collided above the long street, erupting with a roar like the howling of hundreds and thousands of giant dragons. The clash of overwhelming forces was like a giant millstone, grinding away all vitality within range, almost even shattering the vacuum.
The ordinary people were quite pitiful, being deafened by the sonic boom for a short time, and those closer were even thrown more than ten meters away by the air wave.
The asphalt road let out unbearable groans under the heavy pressure. The wild wind trampled like a military formation charging, and the neat ground collapsed and exploded inch by inch. Countless broken stones were carried by the sky-rushing air wave and shot in every direction!
"Ah!"
Steve erupted with a desperate roar, but still could not withstand the terrifying laser.
Ikaris, who had erupted at full strength, could even exchange blows with Haschwalth for a short time. Even if the final outcome was defeat, the degree of his thick skin and toughness, as well as the power of his laser beams, truly could not be underestimated. How could a mere mortal contend against him?
If calculated according to spiritual power level.
Steve could now be considered Fourth-Class, with Reiatsu infinitely close to Third-Class.
But Ikaris was a standard Second-Class Reiatsu, even faintly touching the edge of First-Class Reiatsu.
Boom!!!
The blazing beam completely crushed the fist pressure.
Steve could only raise the shield of his right arm, but under the laser that Ikaris urged with all his strength, sounds erupted throughout his body like exploding thunder. Dozens of bones broke one after another, and scorching blood like magma sprayed from each hideous wound.
Immediately afterward, Steve lost consciousness.