Golden Lion

The Arbitrators fighter jet "Deathwing" tore through the clouds, its specially modified Shizune engines carrying them over York County.

This fighter jet is Tony's latest specially developed aircraft, equipped with the secondary engine of the ' Eternity Core '—' Eternal Day ', which provides powerful propulsion and an average speed of Mach 5. It can carry 50 of Tony's automated combat robots and 50 people at the same time. Its shell also uses the same technology as the Mark-Eclipse Edition, which can form an energy shield on the surface.

Tony stood in the cockpit, his fingers rapidly sliding across the holographic projection, adjusting the fighter jet's scanning system.

"JARVIS, zoom in on the thermal imaging," Tony said, frowning.

"Enlarged, sir." JARVIS's voice was calm and clear. "A large number of unusual heat sources have been detected in the York County, presumed to be Mephisto's followers, numbering...more than five hundred."

"Five hundred?" Banner's expression turned grave. "This is no ordinary cult gathering."

"They're not ordinary believers." Dante leaned against the bulkhead, his fingers lightly tapping the hilt of his sword, a playful smile on his lips. "I can smell the demons on these guys even from heaven."

"A cultist?" Pietro raised an eyebrow. "So, this time we're dealing with a madman from hell?"

"Pretty much." Dante shrugged. "But don't worry, it's my specialty."

Tony glanced at him but didn't say anything.

"Steve's safe house is just ahead." Tony pulled up the live feed, his expression changing drastically. "Damn it!"

On the screen, countless distorted figures are frantically attacking a dilapidated hut.

Those "believers" had bizarre figures, their skin an unnatural crimson, as if scorched by flames, and their eyes burning with an eerie green fire.

Their limbs were twisted and deformed, some with bat-like wings extending from their backs, and others with arms that had turned into burning bone blades. Their roars were like the wails of demons from the depths of hell.

On the roof of the safe house, Steve was wielding his Vibranium Shield, desperately trying to fend off the enemies climbing up. His uniform was tattered, and blood dripped from his arms, but he held the roof tightly, preventing any enemy from breaching his defenses.

"Banner, you stay in the cockpit," Tony quickly ordered. "JARVIS, grant Banner temporary control. I'll call for the Hulk if needed."

Banner nodded, a faint green glint in his eyes. "I hope you can hurry."

Tony turned to Dante: "Ready, Red-Clad Uncle?"

Dante stretched his neck. "That's exactly what I've been waiting for, you rich idol."

As the hatch opened, a gust of wind howled in. Dante stood at the hatch, his red coat fluttering in the wind. He glanced down; there was nothing below except thick clouds, but he knew that the place he was staring at was where the priest holding the black heart scepter was.

"I'll go first." Dante turned back and winked at Tony. "Don't keep me waiting too long."

Before he finished speaking, he had already leaped down. Tony followed closely behind, his Mark-Eclipse Edition armor completing its mid-air transformation.

"JARVIS, activate the 'Valkyrie Array' protocol and release all unmanned mechs."

"Command confirmed, Sir."

Dozens of combat-type robots emerged from the belly of Deathwing, their laser cannons weaving into a dense barrage of fire.

As Dante fell, he drew his two pistols, and the silver bullets accurately struck several demon cultists who were trying to pounce.

"Remember, Stark," Dante's voice came through the communicator, "The devil fears three things— Holy Silver, holy water, and me."

Tony chuckled. "JARVIS, you heard what your uncle said: record the data, adjust the weapon parameters."

Dante's figure plummeted like a meteor, and just before hitting the ground, he suddenly performed a backflip, the blade of Rebellion flashing a crimson Arc Light, smashing the ground into a spiderweb of cracks.

Amidst the swirling dust, he slowly straightened up, his red overcoat billowing in the wind, his eyes beneath his silver hair carrying a cynical smile.

The roars of all the demon cultists paused for a second at that moment.

It must be said that when it comes to showing off, the Sparda family fears no opponent.

"Hey everyone," Dante, raising his Ebony and Ivory, "It's party time."

The next second, gunfire erupted!

His movements were so fast they almost left afterimages; his twin pistols fired in rapid succession at incredible angles, each silver bullet piercing the skull or heart of the demon cultist with pinpoint accuracy.

He fired as he retreated, his body swaying slightly with the rhythm of his shots, as if he were dancing a deadly waltz.

A demonic follower with bat wings lunged at him from the side. Without even looking, Dante cleaved the follower in two with a backhand stroke of his sword, while simultaneously pressing his pistol against the chin of the attacker behind him and pulling the trigger.

"Seventeen, eighteen, nineteen..." he counted leisurely, then suddenly slid aside to dodge the onslaught of Hellfire, and knelt on one knee, his pistols crossed. "Twenty!"

Two bullets, imbued with magic, spiraled out, collided in mid-air, and exploded into a barrage that purified all the demon cultists within a ten-meter radius.

At the same time, the screeching of a turbo engine echoed from the sky.

Tony's Mark-Eclipse Edition armor had transformed, its gold and red paint job quickly switching to a blue, white, and black 'Light Angel Mode'. Six mechanical wings unfolded from his back, each wingtip adorned with azure energy patterns.

"JARVIS, activate global lockdown."

"Lock complete, Sir."

The armor and six wings on his body simultaneously popped open small hatches, revealing hidden miniature missile bays.

In an instant, hundreds of miniature tracking missiles rained down like a swarm of bees, exploding into a continuous cloud of explosions among the demon cultists. Tony hovered in the air, his palm cannon switching to high-energy laser mode, the beam precisely targeting those high-ranking demon cultists attempting to regenerate.

"Dante, to your right," Tony's voice came through the communicator.

"Roger that~" Dante dodged the bone blade with a side somersault, then plunged the Rebellion into the attacker's chest, pinning him to the ground with the force of his fall. He then freed his hand and fired three shots to the other side. "By the way, your armor is pretty impressive, isn't it?"

"Nonsense," Tony swooped down, photons erupting from his wingtips slicing through the throats of four demon cultists. "Want a match?"

"Certainly."

Dante grinned, then suddenly charged forward, the Rebellion spinning in his hand before plunging into the ground.

"Jackpot!"

The ground instantly cracked open, and crimson magic erupted like a volcanic eruption, sending dozens of demon cultists flying. He used the momentum to leap up and, in mid-air, delivered a spinning kick, sending one of the charging demon cultists flying towards Tony.

"Catch the ball!"

Tony raised an eyebrow, and a miniature missile popped out from the shoulder of his armor, accurately hitting the incoming demon cultist and blasting him to ashes.

"Thanks, but I prefer to clear the area myself."

He spread his arms, and the energy patterns on his six wings suddenly lit up. Countless laser beams shot out from the wingtips, sweeping across the battlefield like divine punishment.

Dante whistled. "Wow, area-of-effect attack mode?"

"That's called efficiency." Tony chuckled, switching his palm cannon to lightsaber mode, azure blades extending from his wrist armor. He swooped down, the blades flashing, instantly cleaving three demon cultists in two.

Not to be outdone, Dante switched his dual pistols to shotgun mode and blasted the head of a demon cultist at close range. At the same time, he used Rebellion to slash upwards, splitting the other one in two.

"Efficiency? That's too boring."

He slid through the two demon cultists, pressed his pistols against the back of their heads, and pulled the triggers.

"Fight with style, you know?"

Tony rolled his eyes. "Style won't put food on the table." But inside his armor, he whispered to JARVIS, "Record Dante's fighting style and input it into the armor's melee system."

"Sir, Dante's fighting style is not well-suited for ordinary humans. Forcing you to adapt might result in numerous sprains and dislocations after the battle."

"I know, but it's so cool! I'll write it down and adapt it to suit my needs!"

He raised his hand and blasted a demon cultist who was trying to ambush him with a palm strike. At the same time, a row of miniature drones popped out from the back of his armor, automatically locking onto nearby enemies and firing lasers.

Dante then performed a backflip, spinning the Rebellion several times in his hand before plunging it into the ground. The magic erupted, blasting away the surrounding demon cultists.

"Stylish!"

Tony shook his head helplessly. "You really are..."

Before he could finish speaking, the ground suddenly shook violently.

The priest, clad in a dark red robe, finally moved.

He slammed the black heart scepter in his hand heavily onto the ground, and crimson energy waves spread like a tide. The remains of all the purified demon believers began to writhe and recombine, transforming into even more ferocious forms.

"Oh, this is not good." Dante narrowed his eyes.

Tony's armor system went into overdrive. "Sir, high-dimensional energy detected!"

The priest's red, fiery eyes locked onto the two, his hoarse voice like the wailing of a thousand dead souls:

"The game... is over."

Dante and Tony exchanged a glance.

"Looks like I need to get serious." Dante cracked his neck.

Tony's light blade flashed again. "Just what I wanted."

On the roof of the safe house, Steve could finally catch his breath. He knelt on one knee, his Vibranium Shield planted beside him, blood dripping from his tattered uniform. The surrounding demon cultists had been mostly eliminated, and the remaining few were quickly dealt with by the X-Men.

Hank the Beast, panting heavily, his blue fur soaked with sweat, stared at the distant Kakkō and flashing laser beams, and couldn't help but exclaim, "Tony Stark and that guy in red... it's like they're throwing a party."

"A party?" Cyclops Scott rubbed his aching temples. "The way they fight is just showing off."

A flash of silver light appeared. Pietro suddenly appeared in the middle of the crowd, carrying a golden box engraved with Greek inscriptions on his back, the surface of which crackled with visible electricity.

"The package has arrived." Quicksilver placed the box in front of Steve. "Chen Tian said this thing is even better for smashing people than the Vibranium Shield."

Steve frowned, looking at the roaring lion relief on the lid of the box. "This is..."

"I don't know," Pietro patted the box, "Chen Tian specifically asked us to bring this."

The moment Steve's fingers touched the lid, all twelve golden latches popped open simultaneously.

In the dazzling light, the disintegrated parts of the Cloth floated up, each piece of armor flowing with a texture like liquid sunlight.

Two bolts of lightning shot from the pupils of the Leo Helmet, turning the last few lurking demons to ashes.

Steve instinctively gripped the hovering right arm armor, the golden alloy flowing like liquid and enveloping his forearm. In an instant, a deep lion's roar echoed in his ears, and a semi-transparent interface was projected onto his retina, two short skill descriptions flashing in his vision:

[Lightning Beam Fist: Consumes 60% of Stamina]

[Plasma Lightspeed Fist: Depletes 99% of Stamina]

"Chen Tian asked me to pass on a message." Pietro suddenly stopped joking and mimicked Chen Tian's teasing tone. "'Put on this Cloth, and you're Saints, so smash it!'"

Steve's fingers gripped the arm armor of the Leo Cloth tightly, and golden light flowed across his entire body like flames.

The lion's eyes on the helmet emitted blinding electric light, as if the roar of the lion king echoed in his ears.

He raised his head and looked at the battlefield.

Dante's Rebellion had pierced the priest's chest, and the crimson magic and Hellfire intertwined and exploded, pinning the figure in the dark red robe to the ruins.

However, the number of demon cultists remained staggering. They swarmed in from all directions, their twisted limbs crawling on the ground, their burning bone blades tearing through the air. Tony's drone swarms wove a web of fire in the sky, and laser and missile explosions rose and fell, but the monsters continued to regenerate and reassemble, seemingly endless.

"Tony!" Steve suddenly shouted, his voice booming like thunder amplified by his Cloth, "Clear the battlefield!"

Tony's armor jerked to a swerve, his brow furrowing beneath the mask. "What?"

But the next second, his pupils suddenly contracted.

At this moment, Steve looked more like a golden war god from mythology. The Leo Cloth covered his entire body, each piece of armor flowing with a liquid sunlight-like radiance, and the lion's mane on his helmet burned like flames in the wind.

He slowly raised his fist, golden energy gathering between his fingers, the air distorted by the intense heat.

"JARVIS!" Tony ordered without hesitation, "All units, evacuate the battlefield immediately!"

"Command confirmed, Sir."

The drone swarm instantly gained altitude, and the artillery fire ceased. Dante kicked aside the priest's mangled body, looked up at Steve, and a smile played on his lips, "Oh? Going to unleash your ultimate move?"

Steve took a deep breath, and the power within him surged like a torrent. The skill interface on his retina flickered, and the characters for [Plasma Lightspeed Fist] glowed with a scarlet light.

-- Now!

His fist suddenly swung out.

"Plasma Lightspeed Fist!!!"

For a moment, time seemed to stand still.

A golden light tore through space, followed by a second, a third... countless golden fist shadows exploded like a stellar eruption!

Each punch struck a demon cultist with pinpoint accuracy, the golden trajectory weaving a web of destruction across the battlefield. The air was ionized by the intense heat, and in the blinding flash, the demon's body was reduced to ashes before it even touched the force of the punch.

Tony's armor system frantically alarmed. "Warning! Ultra-high frequency energy fluctuation detected!"

Dante raised his hand to shield himself from the onslaught of heat, his red coat fluttering wildly in the turbulent energy flow. "Wow... this is way more exciting than my Jackpot."

The golden fist shadow lasted for a full two seconds.

When the light faded, the entire battlefield was reduced to scorched earth. All the demon cultists—whether Charge, reborn, or even lurking in the shadows—were completely purified, leaving not even ashes behind.

Silence.

Steve knelt on one knee, the light of his Cloth gradually dimming. This attack had almost exhausted all his strength; sweat dripped from his golden armor, evaporating into white mist on the scorching ground.

Tony slowly landed beside him, his mask popping off, his face filled with shock. "... Captain, when did you learn this move?"

Steve, panting, forced a smile, "Just now."

Dante walked over, Rebellion slung over his shoulder, and tossed a silver coin into his other hand. "Not bad, you take care of the minions, I'll take care of the boss."

He pointed behind him.

The priest's remains were burning in the fire; the black heart scepter was shattered, and the dark red robe had turned to ashes.

Steve managed a weak smile, but exhausted and with the enemies gone, he collapsed to the ground. His Cloth detached itself and flew into the Gold Cloth Box.

Tony watched as Steve's Cloth flew into the box, and he was instantly furious. "Damn it! That brat Chen Tian was holding back!"

"This is so cool! I want one too! JARVIS! Get me Chen Tian! Have him get me a suit of armor just like Steve's!"

Dante leaned against the Rebellion, laughing so hard his shoulders shook, "Hey, rich guy, bribe me, maybe I can put in a good word for you with my nephew?"

Tony paused for two seconds, then suddenly popped a black card out of a hidden compartment in his armor and tossed it to Dante: "Fine, this is a bribe. Get me a Cloth, a really cool one."

Dante caught the black card, flicked it between his fingers in a graceful arc, and then casually slipped it into his coat pocket. "Deal."

Pietro whistled from the side. "Wow, Stark Industries VIP Black Card? Dante, you've hit the jackpot!"

Dante winked at him. "Don't worry, everyone who sees it gets a share. I'll treat you to pizza later."

The crowd burst into laughter.

However, amidst the laughter, Steve slowly stood up, his face pale from exhaustion.

He took a deep breath and said in a low voice, "Gentlemen... what's here is just a small part of their force."

The air fell silent instantly.

Tony frowned. "What do you mean?"

Steve clenched his fist, gazing into the distance. "Their real stronghold... is in Dewen County."

Dante's smile faded, he straightened up, twirled the Rebellion in his hand, and then sheathed it behind his back. "So, there's even bigger trouble?"

Steve nodded, his expression complex. "And... Bucky's there too."

Tony's mask snapped shut, the armor's engines silently activated, and the palm cannons glowed faintly with blue light. "... Then what are we waiting for?"

Dante flexed his wrist, the Ebony and Ivory twirling between his fingers before settling smoothly into the holster. "Looks like the party's not over yet."

Pietro grinned, silver light shimmering around him. "This time I'd better run fast, lest I get caught in the blast again."

Banner's voice came through the communicator at just the right moment, "Hopefully, Hulk won't need to appear this time either."

Steve took a deep breath, bent down and lifted the Gold Cloth Box. The lid clicked shut, and a golden light flashed in the pupils of the lion relief.

"Let's go," he said in a low voice. "This time... I need to get to the bottom of Bucky."

Tony's armor thrusters spewed out fiery blue flames as he hovered in mid-air, his voice beneath the mask carrying a hint of mockery, yet unwavering resolve:

"Don't worry, Captain, this time... we have 'Golden Lion' and 'Red-Clad Uncle' as our teammates."

Dante, carrying the Rebellion, lazily added, "And then there's the money power of the super-rich."

The group exchanged smiles, their fighting spirit ignited.

(To clarify, the concept of the Gold Cloth is the same as the Canis Major Cloth Chen Tian gave to Melina earlier. It cannot grant the wearer Cosmo, but it can also enhance the wearer's physical and mental defense capabilities. The difference is that the Bronze Cloth does not grant skills, while the Gold Cloth does.)

(After all, it's Gold Cloth, so it needs to have some prestige. That's why this setting was created. Also, the power system in Saints is too powerful. If the Cosmo setting were added, the power levels would easily become inconsistent, and the subsequent plot would become very chaotic.)

(Even if there is Cosmo, it's for the protagonist, right?)