United Arab Emirates, Dubai.
Three Punisher Robots thoroughly infected by rust suddenly shot into the sky without warning and exploded with a deafening blast.
Australia, Great Victoria Desert.
More than a dozen heavily rusted Latverian Robots and a Punisher Robot abandoned the battle, faced the sky in the desert, and began praying over and over again.
Siberia, Norilsk.
"This power..."
The Doom Robot looked at its rust-mottled palm. All around it was nothing but ruins.
Miles looked grim. This node had ultimately failed to hold.
"Miles Zero."
The Doom Robot, more than half of its body already corroded, spoke with difficulty. "Do you know what you're doing?!"
Miles glanced at it without answering, then turned and walked into the portal.
Chile, Maria Elena.
"Hah—!!"
Johnny abruptly clenched his fist.
The next instant, the orange-red flames wrapping his entire body suddenly lost their color, nearly turning into blinding white!
"Boom—!!!"
A blazing white pillar of fire erupted from between Johnny's palms, swallowing the two Punisher Robots charging at him head-on!
Amid the surging flames, the two Punishers were blasted away by the white inferno, crashing into distant sand dunes one after the other.
"Huff... huff..."
The flames dissipated. Johnny hovered in midair, gasping heavily, with blood faintly seeping from his nostrils and the corners of his mouth.
He could not maintain that temperature for long, and worse still... those two things in the distance had gotten back up again.
The parts of their armor melted by Johnny rapidly liquefied, then returned to normal.
"This really never ends..."
Johnny muttered a curse and was just about to ignite his flames again.
"Buzz—"
Suddenly, a blue-black portal opened out of thin air beside the two Punisher Robots.
Miles leaped out in a single step!
"Bang!"
The instant his combat boots