A Little Treatment~

Tony landed on the villa's helipad, flames not yet cooled still dripping from the armor's joints.

He flipped open his faceplate with a flourish, revealing what he thought was a handsome smile. "So? Shouldn't I get a Nobel Peace—"

Chen Tian and Yinsen silently watched the mechanical arms dismantle and store his armor.

Then Chen Tian strode over and slung him over his shoulder. (The One Piece swordsmanship inheritance had also slightly enhanced Chen Tian's physical fitness.)

"Hey, hey, hey, I know you love me, but how is this any different from a barbarian dragging their mate back to a cave?"

Tony shouted from Chen Tian's shoulder.

Ignoring Tony's yelling, Chen Tian tossed him onto the workbench.

Tony hit the workbench roughly, and the metal surface let out a dull clang.

Rubbing his lower back, he wailed dramatically, "God, Chen Tian, are you jealous because my armor is cooler than yours? Or—"

"Shut up, Tony." Chen Tian cut him off coldly, then shouted into the air, "JARVIS, run a full scan on Tony's body. Focus on abnormal readings."

The lab's scanners immediately activated. Blue light shone down from the ceiling, enveloping Tony. Seconds later, a holographic display unfolded, dense streams of data scrolling through the air.

"Scan complete." JARVIS's voice carried an unusual hint of gravity.

"Mr. Stark's vital signs are abnormal—his brainwave activity exceeds the normal human limit by 300%, his blood pressure remains elevated, and his adrenaline levels are hovering at the threshold of a lethal dose. In addition, his blood flow has accelerated abnormally, and his red blood cells' oxygen-carrying capacity has risen to the theoretical maximum."

Yinsen sucked in a sharp breath. "Those aren't human physical readings anymore..."

Tony grinned instead, baring canines sharper than usual. "Ha! Sounds like the Super-Soldier Serum's effects. Looks like Diablo is pretty reliable after all."

Chen Tian grabbed Tony by the collar and yanked him close. "Tony, this isn't 'enhancement.' It's corruption! Your body is being transformed by demonic power!"

Tony's smile froze, but he quickly resumed his usual flippant expression. "Oh? So what? I feel amazing right now! Strength, speed, reflexes—all improved!"

"And what's the price?" Chen Tian stared him straight in the eyes. "Your pupils have already started changing color, Tony."

Tony instinctively reached for his eyes, but Chen Tian had already shoved him in front of a mirror.

In the mirror, Tony Stark's pupils were rimmed with a dark red glow, like burning sulfur. When he frowned, lava-like patterns faintly emerged beneath his skin, as though what flowed through his veins was not blood, but Hellfire.

Tony froze.

"Wow, it looks cool, but why does it... look so bad..." Tony stammered.

"JARVIS! Play the footage of Tony killing those terrorists in the Middle East." Chen Tian shouted again.

The holographic projection flickered in the lab, and the earlier footage began playing.

Tony stared at the images in the hologram, his throat tightening.

In the footage, the Mark-2-Devil Edition descended upon the village like a demon god from hell. Sulfurous flames flowed through the gaps in its armor, while its mechanical wings split into six savage tentacles that tore terrorists apart like toys.

"First question." Tony's voice from within the armor was hoarse, carrying an echo like searing Hellfire. "Where is Abu?"

A terrorist pointed tremblingly toward the north side of the village. The next second, his body spontaneously ignited, turning to charcoal amid his screams. Tony flicked sparks off his hand and said lightly, "Thanks for your cooperation."

Then the armor's speakers began playing Queen's "Another One Bites the Dust," and Tony launched into a massacre with the BGM—repulsor blasts shattered heads at point-blank range, mechanical tentacles swept up enemies and used them as human flails to smash their companions, and he even had the leisure to hand out lollipops to the terrified children...

"Environmentally friendly combat." Tony in the footage whistled. "Zero ammunition consumption."

Finally, he found Abu. The Devil Armor's claws pierced straight through the man's chest, crushed his heart, then its repulsor erupted in flames and burned the corpse to ash.

"Hey, buddy, you got my armor dirty." Tony's voice was pleased. "Well~ I seem to be enjoying this."

Tony in reality had gone pale, his fingers unconsciously tightening around the edge of the workbench.

"Th... that was me?" His voice was dry, as though scraped by sandpaper.

Chen Tian looked at him coldly. "Who else did you think it was?"

Tony opened his mouth, wanting to argue, but found something lodged in his throat. He lowered his head to look at his hands—dark red patterns faintly surfaced around his knuckles, as though lava, rather than blood, ran through his veins.

"Damn Diablo modified you while helping you modify the armor!" Chen Tian pointed at the footage. "It's amplifying your negative emotions, making you enjoy killing, enjoy violence, enjoy... a demon's pleasure."

Tony abruptly looked up. "I didn't! I was only—"

"Only what?" Chen Tian interrupted. "Only thinking, 'Those terrorists deserve to die'? Only thinking, 'They had it coming anyway'? Tony, you killed terrorists in that cave before too, but did you enjoy the process then?"

Tony fell silent.

He remembered how he had felt during that fight—the unprecedented excitement, the thrill of blood boiling, the... urge to tear everything apart.

That wasn't him.

At least, it shouldn't have been.

"Sir." JARVIS suddenly spoke. "Your adrenaline levels have once again risen abnormally. I recommend—"

"Shut up, JARVIS!" Tony slammed his fist down on the workbench, denting the metal surface.

Chen Tian and Yinsen exchanged grave looks.

"Tony." Chen Tian took a deep breath. "Fortunately, things aren't too bad yet."

As he spoke, Chen Tian looked at Leah, who was kneeling meekly in the corner, pretending to behave. "What are you still standing around for? Get over here and take a look!"

Hearing Chen Tian's angry rebuke, Leah sprang up from the corner at once. Like a pet being scolded by its owner, she rushed to Tony's side in two quick strides.

A fawning smile hung on her face, but those dark red vertical pupils glimmered dangerously.

"My lord~ Don't be mad~" Leah rubbed her hands together, her voice sickeningly sweet. "I was just observing the situation~"

"Cut the crap!" Chen Tian grabbed her by the collar and dragged her in front of Tony. "Look at what you did! Can you fix it?"

Leah pouted and muttered under her breath, "You were the ones who agreed to let me help make the armor..."

"Hm?" Chen Tian narrowed his eyes.

"I'll inspect him right away!" Leah immediately turned serious and pressed a hand to Tony's chest. Dark red light glimmered at her fingertips like some sinister X-ray, moving through Tony's body as it scanned him.

Tony felt a scorching force coursing through his veins and frowned despite himself. "Tsk—this doesn't feel good..."

"Be quiet, mortal." Leah's tone suddenly became cold and imposing, nothing like the groveling demon from moments ago. "Let me see if I can..."

Her pupils suddenly contracted, as if she had discovered something interesting. "Aha~ Just as I thought~"

"Speak normally!" Chen Tian impatiently knocked her on the head.

Leah covered her head and glared at Chen Tian aggrievedly, but she still explained obediently. "His body has been modified by demonic power by around 37%, mainly concentrated in the nervous and endocrine systems. Simply put..." She tilted her head to think. "It's like pouring rocket fuel into a precision instrument. It has plenty of power, but it could explode into fireworks at any moment~"

Yinsen sucked in a breath. "Can it be reversed?"

Leah spread her hands. "In theory, yes, but..."

"But what?" Chen Tian and Tony asked in unison.

"But it'll hurt like hell~" Leah revealed a wicked grin. "The kind that hurts worse than giving birth~"

Tony's mouth twitched. "...How does a demon know how much childbirth hurts?"

"While you were making the armor, I had JARVIS find me lots of human movies," Leah said righteously. "I watched ER three times!"

Chen Tian rubbed his forehead. "...That isn't the point."

"Hehe." Leah giggled. "The demonic power I left inside Tony can be removed, but there are two conditions."

Leah held up one finger and wagged it. "First, removing the demonic power from Tony's body will put him through immense pain. Umm, this pain comes from the soul, so sedatives are useless. He can only rely on his own willpower."

"How did you know I was planning to use sedatives?" Tony's mouth fell slightly open.

"Tony, don't interrupt her yet." Chen Tian motioned for Leah to continue.

"The second condition is..." Leah looked at the Mark-2-Devil Edition with a regretful expression. "This suit of armor can't be used anymore. After all, it was made with my scales and carved with Hell Runes. If he keeps using it, demonic power will continue seeping into Tony's body."

Tony abruptly pushed himself up from the workbench, his face terrifyingly dark. "Wait, you're saying this armor can't be used anymore? Are you kidding me? This is my most perfect creation yet!"

He pointed at the Mark-2-Devil Edition suspended in the armory. The dark red armor gleamed metallically beneath the lights, while the Hell Runes on its mechanical wings faintly pulsed with dark radiance.

"Do you know how much effort we put into this?" Tony's voice carried suppressed fury. "The reactor's output increased by 400%, the armor's defensive rating is stronger than Captain America's shield, and those Hellfire weapons systems—"

"Tony!" Chen Tian gripped his shoulder, hard enough to make Tony stagger. "Don't you understand yet? This armor is turning you into a monster!"

Tony shook off Chen Tian's hand and was about to retort when a sharp pain suddenly erupted in his chest. With a muffled groan, he dropped to his knees. The lava-like patterns under his skin spread wildly, and the entire laboratory's temperature shot up.

"Sir! Body temperature has exceeded 45 degrees Celsius!" JARVIS issued an urgent warning. "I recommend immediately initiating cooling procedures!"

Leah crouched before Tony, tilting her head as she observed his condition. "Wow~ Looks like the demonic power is more active than you thought~" She poked Tony's burning forehead with a finger. "At this rate, in less than three days, you'll completely become one of my kind~"

Tony struggled to raise his head. His pupils had completely become dark red vertical slits. "So... what..." His voice had turned hoarse. "At least... I can... protect..."

"Protect?" Chen Tian sneered, yanking over the holographic display and pulling up a crude Iron Man armor—the Mark-1 the three of them had built day and night in the cave.

"Look at this!" Chen Tian pointed at the armor. "Have you forgotten? We built this armor in that cave. Back then, we didn't need demonic power, didn't need to become monsters. Human wisdom and courage alone were enough!"

Tony stared blankly at the hologram, the red glow in his eyes flickering in and out.

Leah suddenly clapped her hands. "Ah! I thought of an interesting comparison~" She bounced between the two of them. "It's like a drug addict getting high. It feels amazing for a while, but in the end, they either end up in prison or the morgue~"

Yinsen rubbed his forehead. "...Your comparisons are always so unique."

"Shut up, Diablo." Chen Tian glared at the demon, then softened his voice as he turned back to Tony. "Listen, we can help you purge the demonic power, but you have to give up this armor. And..." He paused. "The process will be extremely painful."

Tony was silent for a long time. The only sound in the laboratory was that of mechanical arms cleaning the scorch marks left by Tony's landing.

At last, he slowly raised his head, and the red glow in his eyes gradually faded. "...How painful?"

Leah flashed a radiant smile. "About like slowly roasting your soul over Hellfire~ But don't worry! I'll be very gentle~"

"I don't feel reassured at all." Tony rolled his eyes weakly, but still nodded with difficulty. "...Do it."

Chen Tian and Yinsen immediately got to work. Yinsen pushed over a modified Medical Pod.

Watching Tony lie down inside the Medical Pod, Leah shouted, "All right, all right~ Time to begin the purification ritual~"

Dark purple flames suddenly ignited in her hands. She gently pressed them against Tony's temples. "It might feel a little itchy~"

"Wait, you said itchy—AAAAAAAH!!"

Tony's scream instantly rang through the entire villa. His body convulsed violently, and dark red energy began seeping from his seven orifices. Those lava-like patterns writhed and struggled beneath his skin like living things. Every monitor on the Medical Pod went off the charts, and alarms blared in unison.

"Diablo! You fucking call this 'a little itchy'?!" Tony forced the words through gritted teeth, veins bulging on his forehead as cold sweat poured down like rain.

Leah tilted her head, looking innocent. "Aww~ I'm already being very gentle~" The dark purple flames at her fingertips danced even more joyfully. "If it were another demon, you'd already be a skewer of roasted meat by now~"

"I'll—fuck—you—" Tony's curse was cut off by another wave of agony. His pupils turned fully blood-red, and his nails carved deep furrows into the Medical Pod's metal surface.

Chen Tian held Tony's shoulders down with all his strength. "Hold on! Just endure it a little longer!"

"Endure my ass—!" Tony roared, his voice mixed with an inhuman howl. "This fucking hurts ten thousand times worse than—when I got blown up—!"

Yinsen frantically adjusted the Medical Pod's settings. "Heart rate: 280! Blood pressure is off the charts! At this rate, his heart will—"

"He won't die~" Leah interrupted with a smile. "The demonic power is protecting his body, so he won't die~ It's just..." She deliberately dragged out the last word. "His soul might shatter into pieces~"

"Diablo!" Chen Tian shouted angrily. "Focus!"

"I know, I know~" Leah pouted, then abruptly brought her hands together. Tony's body instantly arched upward as he released a shriek no human should have been capable of making—

Dark red energy burst from his seven orifices, gathering in midair into a hideous demonic face that silently roared at everyone.

"Wow~" Leah whistled. "Looks like Mr. Tony's negative emotions are even richer than I imagined~"

The demonic phantom suddenly lunged at Leah, but she grabbed it by the throat. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. You can't be this fierce~" She opened her mouth—her cherry lips suddenly split all the way to her ears, exposing a mouthful of sharp teeth as she swallowed the phantom in one bite.

"Burp~" Leah returned to her human form and patted her stomach contentedly. "Tony's negative emotions taste pretty good, just a little too irritable."

Tony finally stopped struggling inside the Medical Pod. He was drenched from head to toe, his face deathly pale, but the lava-like patterns beneath his skin had disappeared.

"Is... is it over..?" Tony asked weakly, his voice so hoarse it barely sounded human.

Leah held out her palm, where a ball of crimson liquid floated like slowly flowing lava. "All done~ The demonic power has been extracted!" She smugly shook her hand. "Want to keep it as a souvenir? You could make it into a necklace~"

Tony weakly raised his middle finger. "I'd... rather... shove it up your..."

Before he could finish, his eyes rolled back and he passed out completely.

The Medical Pod's alarms gradually weakened. Yinsen hurriedly checked the readings. "His vital signs are stable! He just fainted from extreme exhaustion!"

Chen Tian let out a long breath, only then realizing his back was already soaked through. He looked at the ball of demonic power in Leah's hand. "What do we do with that thing?"

Leah blinked. "Aww, that's mine..." She suddenly opened her mouth and swallowed it in one gulp. "Just eat it directly~"

Chen Tian: "..."

Yinsen: "..."

JARVIS: "...Would you like me to prepare stomach medicine, Miss Leah?"

"No need, no need~" Leah licked her lips contentedly, then looked toward the unconscious Tony. For once, she wore a serious expression. "But... I want to watch a few more good TV dramas. JARVIS, do you have any recommendations?"

Chen Tian: "..."

Yinsen: "..."

JARVIS: "...Yes, Miss Leah. There are nine more TV dramas as good as ER..."