The moment that holy aura descended, Yinsen's bleeding miraculously stopped. The wound in his chest, which should have been fatal, began to heal before their very eyes.
Both men were stunned.
"This… this isn't possible!" Yinsen whispered, staring at the hole in his chest that was closing with every heartbeat.
Tony's eyes lit up with relief. "I knew it. I knew Roland Phils wasn't lying to me!" His voice was choked with excitement.
Before either of them could recover from the shock, a tall, coldly beautiful woman appeared before them. Her presence was commanding, her golden hair gleaming under the divine light.
This was no ordinary woman. She was one of Jason Kin's apostles, the battleship maiden Bismarck.
Since the day Jason had awakened her, Bismarck had remained within his divine domain, rarely stepping into the mortal world. Until now, the only human who had ever seen her was Effie, Jason's loyal steward. But now Tony Stark and Yinsen joined that list.
Tony blinked in disbelief. A goddess-like figure had just manifested in front of him, and he had no idea what to make of it.
"Hey, gorgeous," he said reflexively, the playboy in him surfacing even in this insane moment. "Don't tell me you're the Lord of Life herself?"
But Bismarck was not amused. Her gaze turned icy, and she looked down on him with disdain.
"I am the Apostle of the Lord of Life," she declared, her voice sharp and resolute. "My master's name is not to be defiled. Since this is your first offense, I will spare you. Otherwise, you would already be dead."
Her words were followed by a crushing wave of divine pressure that exploded outward.
Tony felt as though a mountain had dropped onto his shoulders. Even inside the bulky Mark I suit, he collapsed to his knees under the weight of her power.
"Oh, my God… merciful Apostle, I was wrong!" Tony gasped, struggling to breathe. He had faced death countless times, but this pressure was unlike anything he had ever experienced. Terrifying and absolute.
He knew better than to push his luck. If this woman was their only hope of surviving, then he had to swallow his pride and admit defeat.
At his plea, Bismarck gave a short, disdainful snort, then retracted the crushing aura.
At that moment, armed militants burst into the chamber, shouting as they raised their rifles.
"Damn it, we're surrounded!" Tony shouted. "Fall back, I'll handle them!" He stepped forward in his armor, but before he could act, Bismarck's eyes narrowed.
Without hesitation, she summoned her rigging. In an instant, massive twin 406mm cannons materialized beside her, hovering in the air like the weapons of a battleship given human form.
The air thundered as her cannons roared. The blasts tore through the intruders, vaporizing them in a blaze of fire and smoke. The sheer power nearly collapsed the cave around them.
"The one who should fall back is you," Bismarck said coolly.
With graceful, almost casual steps, she walked toward the tunnel.
Tony was frozen, speechless. His jaw hung open as he watched her tear through the enemy with ease.
"A walking arsenal," he muttered. "She's… she's a human weapons platform."
Wherever she went, the militants fell. They were helpless before her overwhelming firepower, reduced to ash and rubble in seconds.
Minutes later, Bismarck strolled calmly out of the base, with Tony and Yinsen following close behind, both alive and safe.
"Mission complete. I will return now," she said in a voice that brooked no argument.
Tony opened his mouth to thank her, but before he could, he realized something was wrong. He looked down at himself. The Mark I armor that had been protecting him flickered with white light, then dissolved into nothing.
"My… my armor! Where the hell is my Iron Man suit?!" he shouted, panic rising in his voice.
Bismarck's eyes turned cold. "Have you forgotten your prayer already? That armor was the price you offered in exchange for your friend's life. It has been taken."
Tony's eyes widened. "Oh, right… that. Uh, wait a second. You don't mean the Lord of Life is also going to take my soul and fortune too, do you?" He forced a nervous laugh, though his face had gone pale.
Bismarck sneered. "That depends entirely on my master's will."
Though it was their first meeting, she had already decided she did not like Tony Stark. Compared to her master Jason Kin, this man was arrogant, frivolous, and utterly lacking in gravitas. Jason had charm and depth. Jason understood her.
Tony's lips moved wordlessly. For once in his life, the billionaire playboy was rattled. He had spoken those words in desperation, but now the consequences loomed over him.
Yinsen stepped forward, panic in his eyes. "Apostle, please! If there is any cost, let me bear it. Tony's fortune and soul are too important for him to lose!"
"Silence!" Bismarck's voice cut like a blade. "Do you think this is a child's game? To trifle with the Lord of Life is blasphemy, and blasphemy is punishable by death. I will not hesitate."
Yinsen paled, but Tony quickly raised his voice, trying to recover.
"Yinsen didn't mean it like that. And I, Tony Stark, do not take back my word. I am a man of business. I honor my deals. If I promised something, I won't go back on it. Whatever the Lord of Life chooses, I accept."
Hearing this, Bismarck's expression softened slightly.
"That is better. Remember your place, both of you. Pray you never forget it."
With that, divine light wrapped around her figure. In the blink of an eye, she vanished, leaving nothing but silence behind.
Tony stared at the empty space where she had stood. His voice was quiet, awed, almost reverent.
"So this… this is the power of the divine."
His eyes narrowed as he thought about what had just happened, his mind racing with possibilities.
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