Meanwhile, at S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Triskelion headquarters.
Nick Fury fixed his one eye on the latest report on the screen: the brief confrontation involving the "Pontiac" in the Stark Industries building's garage and the "authorization documents" it had displayed. The analysis department had flagged formatting irregularities in the S.H.I.E.L.D. endorsement documents. Although they looked extremely convincing, they did not match the database.
"Director Fury, should we intervene? This clearly involves sophisticated forgery and a potential information security threat," a senior agent asked.
Nick Fury was silent for a moment and looked at another report. After Rimuru returned to the estate, the energy readings in his underground laboratory had risen sharply. Unlike anything previously recorded, the readings suggested some kind of high-intensity experiment was underway.
"Not for now." Fury finally made his decision. "The target, Rimuru, has yet to demonstrate any direct hostility toward public safety or global stability. Giving that car to Potts seems more like a protective gesture. Keep watching, and focus on Jazz and Rimuru's new project. Remember, our principles are to observe and assess, and to avoid unnecessary conflict with an unknown entity of this level before a genuine threat emerges."
He leaned back in his chair and looked out the window with his one eye. "Does Tony Stark know?"
"He probably doesn't know about the garage yet. He's focused on testing his Mark VIII."
"Heh." Fury snorted. "Two geniuses tinkering with their new toys. Tell Hill to increase surveillance around Stark Industries and Rimuru's estate. I want to know what happens the next time they meet."
He had a hunch that when Rimuru finished his new toy, Tony Stark would experience far more than simply being "flexed on to his face." It could be a collision of technology and ideals that exceeded everyone's expectations.
In the underground laboratory, Rimuru nodded with satisfaction as he watched the prototype armor gradually take shape on the assembly platform. It had sleek, sharp lines, a golden sheen, and red energy patterns.
"Good progress. Oh, right, I need to add a transformation function. I can't lose to Tony. His can even come apart. Hmm~ What should it transform into? A dragon? Or some other form? Or something even flashier? Forget it, I'll integrate it first! Tony Stark, just you wait!"
Rimuru looked at the finished armor as it gradually came together. The more he looked, the more it resembled the Emperor Armor. Why did that mount look so much like the Light and Shadow Steed when it transformed into a dragon? He could also vaguely make out elements of Galactron.
Whatever. I made it, so it's mine. Now Knight has advanced to Dragon Knight, and with that dragon-shaped flying combat support platform, I'm a full-fledged heavy-armored knight.
A week had passed since he came out of the laboratory. During that week, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s agents had been beside themselves with anxiety. They knew perfectly well something was going on in there, yet they couldn't do anything about it.
Tonight, Rimuru had deliberately waited until dark to start testing. He felt he had already given S.H.I.E.L.D. plenty of consideration. At least he hadn't chosen broad daylight to shake up the skies over New York.
Flying over New York at night, Rimuru was as excited as Tony had been the first time he took to the sky in armor. Although he was a little slower, the sense of security the heavy armor provided was something Knight simply couldn't match. More importantly, there was the dragon-shaped combat platform beside him. Who wouldn't be excited to have a dragon circling around them?
S.H.I.E.L.D.'s radar detected the thing flying over New York, and its operators silently grimaced.
Nick Fury had thought Rimuru might spring something big on him, but he hadn't expected it to be this big. "That thing's ten meters long, isn't it? How does it even fly?"
"Sir, according to our preliminary estimate, that thing is twelve meters long,
Slowly rising into the sky in his new armor, Rimuru was almost as excited as Tony had been when he first put on the Mark Armor. Though its speed couldn't match that of light armor, the reassuring solidity of the heavy armor was something his previous Knight form could never compare to. What was more, the mechanical dragon beside him unfolded in sync and circled smoothly around him, its eyes flashing with a deep blue light.
With a dragon circling beside you, who wouldn't think it was cool?
On the screen, the dragon-shaped platform gave a graceful flick of its tail, tracing a glowing arc through the air. Beside it, Rimuru looked like a heavy-armored knight riding an ancient mechanical dragon, leisurely patrolling New York's night sky.
Fury turned to look at Coulson, who was standing behind him, dumbstruck.
"Prepare a new file. Codename: Dragon Knight. Or come up with whatever name will soothe my nerves."
Outside the window, a low roar, like the cry of a mechanical dragon's thrusters, could be faintly heard deep in the night sky.
"Sir, according to our preliminary estimate, that thing is twelve meters long. It flies in a similar way to the Mark Armor, but it probably isn't anywhere near full power right now."
"Motherfucker." Nick Fury swore even more colorfully as he listened to his subordinate's report. Each one of them really was better at stirring up trouble than the last.
Rimuru was having so much fun that he drifted away from the city without noticing. The dark sea and scattered lights below told him he had reached the harbor district. He descended and curiously studied the docks, which looked a little like the ones in Iron Man 3. Perhaps freight docks all over the world looked much the same at night?
Huh?
His sharp senses picked up unusual activity in the shadows between the shipping containers below. Several boats without proper navigation lights were silently moored along the shore. A group of figures furtively carried heavy crates, moving swiftly and watchfully. An atmosphere of tension hung in the air that was anything but that of legal trade.
"Oh?" Rimuru's eyes lit up beneath his faceplate. "Working overtime this late? Those local specialties you're carrying look pretty heavy. This atmosphere... a classic gang smuggling scene?"
He guided the armor slowly downward while the Dragon Knight platform glided silently to a hover above and beside him, its deep-blue dragon eyes fixed on the area below.
A burly Black man who looked like the boss gripped a rifle and urged the others on in a low voice. "Move it! Keep quiet! If anything goes wrong with this shipment, the boss will sink us all in the sea to feed the fish!"
Rimuru's armored feet landed on the dock with a soft thud, kicking up a little dust. He deliberately made his voice sound electronically reverberant but clear enough through the speaker.
"Good evening, gentlemen. Mind sharing what you're working on so late? I'm a little curious."
The response was a row of gun barrels snapping up and bursts of gunfire without warning.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Bullets rained against the Dragon Emperor Armor's heavy breastplate and arm guards, sending up a dazzling shower of sparks with a crisp clatter. They all bounced off, leaving only tiny, barely visible white marks on the armor's surface.
"Whoa!" Rimuru jumped at the sudden, enthusiastic greeting. "Opening fire without even saying hello? Where are your manners?"
The people below were clearly even more shocked. They stared at the giant metal figure standing unharmed in the hail of bullets as if they had seen a ghost. The flesh on the boss's face trembled, and a vicious light flashed in his eyes. He snatched a long tubular object from one of his men and hoisted it onto his shoulder.
"Holy shit! RPG!" Rimuru's warning system instantly marked the high-threat target in red.
Whoosh~
The rocket streaked straight at him, trailing flame!
"That's going too far!" Rimuru muttered. He raised his left arm, and the enormous energy ring in his palm instantly blazed with blinding light.
Hum~
The thick beam of his palm cannon fired second but arrived first, striking the rocket's warhead with pinpoint accuracy.
Boom!
A fireball erupted in midair. The blast wave knocked several nearby gunmen off their feet, while Rimuru's armor merely swayed slightly.
"Looks like they're not an ordinary gang." Rimuru put aside his playful attitude. Their firepower and decisive approach were clearly beyond the level of street thugs.
The blast had knocked the boss to the ground. Just as he struggled back up, he saw the enormous metal figure close in on him in an instant, like a ghost. A heavily armored fist rapidly filled his terrified eyes.
Wait, should I hold back a little? The thought had barely flashed through Rimuru's mind, but it was already too late.
With a muffled impact, the Black boss was flung backward as if he had been struck head-on by a truck at full speed, his body bent into a horribly unnatural V. He slammed into a shipping container dozens of meters away and became deeply embedded in it, falling completely silent.
Inside the armor, Rimuru blinked.
"Oops, I used too much force." He looked at his metallic, gleaming fist. "He's probably gone straight to meet his great-grandmother. Tony was right. I need practice controlling my strength."
He turned to the remaining armed men, who were scared out of their wits and scrambling to escape.
"The rest of you," Rimuru's voice came through the speaker, trying to sound a little more "friendly," "we can communicate in a more civilized way. Don't worry, I'll be very gentle."
For the next minute, a one-sided session of "gentle persuasion" played out on the dock. The Dragon Knight moved like a tiger among sheep, fast enough to leave afterimages. Every slap, light shove, or touch of a fingertip was accompanied by the distinct sound of bones breaking and screams. The Dragon Knight platform circled overhead, occasionally firing a low-power beam to precisely knock away the hand of someone reaching for a detonator or a heavy weapon.
When Rimuru stopped, no one but him was left standing on the dock. Even the ones who had gotten off lightest were howling and clutching twisted limbs. Broken bones were the minimum.
"All right." Rimuru crouched in front of a pale-faced man clutching a broken arm, his palm cannon glowing faintly on and off. "Now, who can tell me exactly what's in these crates, and who your boss is?"
His tone was light and cheerful, but to the man's ears, it was no different from the whisper of the Grim Reaper.