Steve recognized the man approaching: Knuckle, the Sun Guardian of the Vongola Family.
"Let me take this one. You're no match for him," Steve said, stepping forward. He knew of the Vongola family—one of the most powerful and ancient mafias in the world—but in his eyes, they were just another group of gangsters with flashy abilities.
This so-called Knuckle, or "Sun Priest" as the files noted, didn't strike him as a frontline fighter. According to intelligence, Knuckle rarely took action, spending most of his days praying in silence like a monk. The only recorded incident involved him executing a notorious gang leader with a single blow—and after that, no further activity.
If it were Vongola Primo himself, Steve might've hesitated. But Knuckle? He didn't seem impressive.
"It's fine. Leave this to me, Captain. This is Hell's Kitchen," Knuckle replied calmly.
"Finally… the First Sun Guardian of the Vongola Family arrives," murmured Daisy, showing no fear. Instead, his expression was twisted into a sickly grin.
Knuckle didn't respond. He looked silently at the undead abominations still rampaging through the city.
Without a word, he set his Bible aside and began methodically wrapping fresh bandages around his hands. Every motion was solemn, almost ceremonial—exuding a calm and indomitable power.
As the final layers of bandage tightened, something within him seemed to awaken. His aura grew more intense, radiating with quiet majesty.
"Three minutes," Knuckle whispered. Though softly spoken, his words echoed with divine weight.
"Three minutes? What do you mean by that?" Steve asked, confused. Even Daisy cocked an eyebrow.
Knuckle didn't explain. Instead, he casually let his priest's robe slip off, the black cloth fluttering like wings before landing gently in a corner of the battlefield.
And then… it happened.
A radiant flame burst forth from Knuckle's body—the Sun Dying Will Flame—bright, pure, and almost blinding. Its warmth cut through the haze of death and corruption that had engulfed the city.
"I'll finish this in three minutes!" Knuckle declared, his voice booming like thunder across Hell's Kitchen.
Then, he moved.
Knuckle launched himself into the sea of undead with lightning speed. Every hook, uppercut, and sweeping blow shattered bones and exploded torsos. The mindless creatures fell like dominoes before him.
Steve watched, stunned. "It's no use! They'll just regenerate!" he shouted. "Unless you take out the source, they'll keep coming back!"
But then… something miraculous occurred.
The monsters Knuckle defeated didn't rise again. Instead, they crumbled into ash, disintegrating under the searing heat of his flames.
"What… the hell?" Hawkeye muttered from a rooftop perch, mouth agape.
Steve was speechless.
What he didn't know was that these "undead" were constructs born from Daisy's Sun Flame, twisted by regeneration and immortality. But the Sun Flame of the First Generation was pure vitality—its polar opposite. When Knuckle struck them, the unnatural reanimated bodies were incinerated by the very essence of life.
Knuckle turned slowly. "One minute," he said.
Across from him, Daisy began laughing. "Interesting… very interesting. I've never met anyone like you before, Knuckle. Kill me if you can. I want to see where your limit lies."
Before the last word left his lips, Daisy vanished in a blur and reappeared mid-strike, launching a flurry of punches at Knuckle.
Their clash sent shockwaves rippling through the city. Each time Daisy attacked, Knuckle blocked, redirected, or countered with perfect precision. The ground beneath them cracked and crumbled.
But no matter how devastating the blows, Daisy kept getting back up.
It was like trying to kill a cockroach with superhuman resilience.
"It's useless, Knuckle," Daisy sneered. "We're at the two-minute mark. All your efforts… wasted. Now it's my turn."
Suddenly, something horrifying occurred.
From within Daisy's body, his ribs twisted outward, morphing into jagged bone spurs. In an instant, they shot out and formed a massive organic cage, encasing both fighters in a dome of blood and bone.
"Ashura's Coffin: Lizard Feast!" Daisy roared.
A viscous, corrosive black fluid began leaking from his skin, sizzling against the cage. It was like acid, ready to melt everything.
Knuckle, however, didn't flinch.
He dashed forward again, shattering bone spurs and forcing space between them.
Blood trickled from his brow, but as it dripped, Sunlight Flame Crystals formed across the wound, instantly sealing it.
Then, with solemnity, Knuckle unwrapped his bandages—revealing seventeen glowing seal marks carved into his forearms.
"Do you know why the Sun Flame is said to represent 'activity'?" he asked softly.
Then, with a powerful tear, he ripped off the first seal.
Oracle-like battle glyphs ignited across his skin, flowing like liquid fire.
His power surged.
Then the second seal broke.
The earth trembled.
Lava burst through the ground, transforming into a golden waterfall that lifted him toward the heavens.
In midair, Knuckle threw a barrage of fists, each one cracking the sky.
"Always burn one second longer than your enemy!"
His body exploded in radiance, his flame now resembling a miniature sun. The light was so intense it turned night into day across Manhattan.
Every glass window reflected his silhouette—determined eyes, a priest's solemn smile, fists of divine retribution.
"This move…" his voice echoed through the glow, "is called…"
"EXTREME SUN SALUTE!"
With a phoenix-like dive, Knuckle shattered the organic cage and descended from the heavens.
His fists moved faster than the eye could follow—each strike perfectly aimed at the energy nodes hidden within Daisy's Ashura body.
One hundred punches.
Each landed with thunderous force, rupturing Daisy's regeneration system at its core.
And then, one final blow—direct to the heart.
Crack. The system failed.
Daisy stared down at the gaping hole in his chest. His face twisted—not in pain, but in peace.
His body crumbled to dust, disintegrating into ashes that scattered across Hell's Kitchen. Only half his face remained in outline, wearing a satisfied smile.
Knuckle landed softly. He picked up his robe, slipped it on, and turned away.
"Three minutes. Amen."
Steve, Hawkeye, and the remaining Avengers stood there—silent.
Stunned.
Speechless.
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Bonus Chapter - 150 Power Stones
2nd Bonus Chapter - 300 Power Stones
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