Clash of Shield and Sword

"How's this move?" Steve gripped the round shield with both hands, adding his body weight as he tried to crush Kyle directly from above.

"Not bad," Kyle responded with effort, his left shoulder pressed firmly against the shield, one knee and his right palm sinking into the mud.

Steve wanted to pin Kyle to the ground with the shield, while Kyle aimed to push it away and rise to resist.

Their sparring match had, at this moment, completely devolved into a tug-of-war of pure strength!

"Kyle, just surrender!" Steve said with a solemn expression, his hands beginning to pour their full strength into the downward pressure. The shield's height lowered bit by bit.

After all, he held the advantage from above. In a pure strength comparison, Steve believed he was no weaker than Kyle.

"It's not that simple," Kyle gritted his teeth, holding firm. His shield-bearing posture didn't waver in the slightest. The shield's descent was, in fact, merely the mud beneath him collapsing.

Though he wore a tight black combat suit, his muscles visibly bulged slightly, and his right palm, braced against the ground, had clenched into a fist at some point.

Golden sunlight glinted off Kyle's body, which seemed forged from steel. In this moment, he resembled a bronze sculpture embodying strength.

Amidst the gasps of the American soldiers and Steve's disbelieving gaze, the shield pressing down on Kyle began to rise rapidly, inch by inch.

"If you want me to surrender, this is still far from enough," Kyle shoved Steve's shield away, retreating a few steps. He panted heavily, clearly exhausted.

"But now, your stamina is almost depleted," Steve's eyes held a complex emotion. Kyle had pushed the shield away with all his might, regardless of the consequences.

This indeed bought a sliver of a chance for a comeback, but it also pushed him into a desperate situation.

Steve continued, "Your attacks are meaningless against this shield."

"Steve, you might have forgotten," Kyle suddenly smiled. "I haven't even used my weapon yet. Did you think you'd already won?"

As he spoke, Kyle reached back, his left hand gripping the hilt, and drew the Carbon Sodium Steel Sword.

Compared to the Adamantium Shield, with its brightly colored, graffiti-like pattern on the surface, the Carbon Sodium Steel Sword was simply a one-handed sword. Its mirror-smooth blade exuded a suffocating sharpness.

"While close-quarters combat is good, killing enemies through brawling on the battlefield is still too troublesome," Kyle said coldly, tightening his grip on the one-handed sword with his left hand.

He still possessed Green Ability Cards related to swordsmanship.

However, what was more important than swordplay techniques was that, by leveraging the sharp characteristics of the Carbon Sodium Steel Sword, Kyle's attack power could increase by several levels.

Even if the weapons in his hand were the Carbon Sodium Steel Claw or the Carbon Sodium Steel Knife, they wouldn't be much different.

As long as he had a sufficiently sharp cold weapon, Kyle could achieve a one-hit kill!

At this moment, on the outer perimeter of the assembled soldiers.

Joseph, watching the two armed figures in the center, quickly walked over to Carter. "Agent Carter. Those two kids are playing for real now. If you don't stop them, there might be an accident!"

Carter gently shook her head, her beautiful eyes not leaving the arena. "Playing for real now? Didn't you realize they've been seriously trying to defeat each other all along?"

Joseph asked, confused, "What's going on? Their fight was also quite sudden, and isn't it almost time for Operation White Star to depart?"

"I can only guess," Carter's eyes held a complex meaning. "Steve, he's been holding back for a long time, wanting to release it. That's because no matter what he did, Kyle always managed to get ahead of him, leading the way."

"The Super Soldier experiment qualification, the Adamantium Shield – these were all indirectly given to him by Kyle. Despite this, Steve still felt the gap between himself and Kyle was too vast."

"He even felt insecure about his title as Captain America, perhaps questioning himself internally – with better opportunities and weapons, why was he still confined to Kyle's protection? He also wanted to get ahead of Kyle, to hold up his shield for him."

"So, in his capacity as Captain, about to lead soldiers into enemy territory, Steve wanted to rediscover himself and regain his confidence through this fight with Kyle before then."

As Carter finished speaking, the intense battle in the central area was drawing to a close.

The fierce clash of sword and shield, the kinetic energy canceling each other out, produced no sparks, only the crisp sound of metal striking metal echoing clearly across the plaza.

After the sword strikes and shield defenses nullified each other, as they brushed past, they still delivered painful blows to each other's bodies with their fists!

Kyle and Steve were sent flying backward respectively, rolling several times on the ground before quickly getting up and resuming their head-on combat!

They were each other's best friends in this world, and also rivals, possessing their own pride and unyielding spirit.

Each wanted to be at the forefront, winning more stages and attention in this era.

Under the sun, in the plaza.

Kyle and Steve, one wielding a sword, the other a shield, finally charged at each other with a final roar.

This soul-stirring scene was etched into the eyes and minds of the base's over a thousand American soldiers, remaining as clear as yesterday even half a century later.

And even half a century after that, this scene would be immortalized by master sculptors, standing in front of the War Memorial.

'Bang!!!'

The Carbon Sodium Steel Sword flew high into the air, spinning countless times before embedding itself firmly into the mud not far behind Steve.

Steve remained in his shield-swinging follow-through, while Kyle was sent flying backward heavily, creating a distinct gouge in the ground as he landed. Finally, he lay still on the ground, exhausted.

"Captain Steve?"

The soldiers were about to cheer for the victor, but at that moment, Steve, utterly spent, raised his hand. "I lost."

A clear bloodstain appeared on the side of his neck. It seemed like a minor wound, but blood dripped incessantly.

"Really tired," Kyle laboriously got to his feet, dusting himself off.

The final decisive blow wasn't his sword flying out of his hand, but him actively taking a shield strike while throwing his sword as a hidden projectile.

If he hadn't held back, Steve would have been decapitated by now.

"Kyle, did you go all out?" Steve gasped, clutching his wound, his eyes sharp as he looked directly at Kyle, seeking an answer.

Kyle paused slightly, then nodded and said, "That's right."

Although he hadn't used his Stealth or Vibranium Bracers yet, Steve was already the most troublesome and powerful opponent he had ever encountered.

"Is that so?" Steve nodded with satisfaction, clenched his fists with unwavering determination, and said, "I'll let you go ahead this time, but one day, I will definitely surpass you! Otherwise, I'll be letting you down!"

"Then I'll be looking forward to it."

Kyle smiled faintly, surveyed the surrounding soldiers, took a shallow breath, and said coldly, "Are you ready? Follow us onto the battlefield to annihilate the enemy!"

"Ready!"

A thunderous roar echoed throughout the base. Five hundred American soldiers stood up with a 'swish,' their gazes fanatically fixed on the two men at the center of the huddle.

"Then grab your weapons and follow our lead!" Steve loudly followed the command. The assembled five hundred soldiers immediately gripped their holstered firearms and collectively cleared a path.

After this battle, both men were covered in wounds, but their prestige had increased severalfold compared to before their spar. The troops' morale was also higher than ever before.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!"

With a single command from Kyle and Steve, the two men charged forward, leading the team out of the base in a grand departure.

Watching this scene, Joseph exclaimed, "These two might just change the tide of the war."

"You're wrong," Carter said, watching the team depart with certainty. "They absolutely will!"