Not long after Bismarck vanished, soldiers from the United States military finally located Tony Stark. After being missing for nearly half a month, Tony was rescued at last.
This ordeal had changed him. His perspective on weapons, on war, and on the world itself shifted. For the first time, Tony Stark felt a deep sense of responsibility. He believed he had to do something meaningful for the world.
At that moment, no one knew what was going on in Tony's mind. If there was anyone who understood, it was Jason Kin.
Inside his divine realm, Jason was examining the very armor that had disappeared from Tony Stark's body. The crude Mark I suit, once Tony's desperate creation, now lay before Jason as an offering.
Tony's trial had been foreseen. Jason had given him a divine card long ago, preparing for this moment. That card wasn't ordinary. It carried a trace of Jason's divine aura. With that fragment of his power, even an ordinary man could perform a prayer without collapsing under spiritual pressure.
It was all part of Jason's plan.
Tony had promised three sacrifices: his Mark I armor, his soul, and his wealth. Yet Jason had little interest in the latter two. What use did a god have for a mortal's soul? As for Tony's wealth, Jason was already the largest shareholder of Stark Industries. He had no need of redundant riches.
What caught Jason's attention was the armor.
The moment he accepted it, the system's voice echoed in his mind.
[Log]: Your follower Tony Stark has offered a tier 3 priest-level Iron Armor as sacrifice.
[Log]: You have received 132 Faith Points.
[System]: The sacrifice has triggered a critical reward. Its quality has been enhanced a hundredfold.
[System]: You have received a tier 7 epic-grade Blood-Edge Armor.
"Blood-Edge Armor!" Jason's eyes widened with excitement.
In the Marvel world, few mortals could rival gods. The one exception was Tony Stark. And Tony had achieved that not with powers of his own, but with the armors he built.
Among all of his creations, the Blood-Edge Armor stood as one of the most formidable, stylish, and terrifying.
Its predecessor was the Extremis Armor, built to counter foes infected with the Extremis virus. But the Blood-Edge Armor went beyond. Its name came from its radical design. Unlike earlier suits, it wasn't worn externally.
It used bleeding-edge nanotech, integrating liquid metal directly into the wearer's bones. At will, the armor could seep out from within the body, forming a suit in seconds. With nothing but thought, the user could enter combat mode.
The design provided unmatched versatility. The armor could reshape itself into massive cannons, laser blades, and countless other weapons. It was a perfect balance of ranged and close-combat power.
In the original timeline, this armor wouldn't appear until eight years later. But thanks to the system's amplification, Jason now held it early. That thought filled him with satisfaction.
At tier 7, the armor was of epic grade. If Jason granted it to the right person, he would instantly gain a warrior of equal standing, someone capable of turning battles single-handedly.
Jason paused, then his eyes lit with a bold idea.
"Wait. The Blood-Edge Armor is mechanical. Instead of giving it away, why not awaken it into a shipgirl? That would be the perfect use!"
The thought made his pulse quicken.
"Yes. That's it. When the right opportunity comes, I'll awaken the armor itself. And this is just Tony's first offering. If I can obtain more armors from him in the future, and the system amplifies them as well, who knows? I might even acquire an anti-Celestial armor. If I awaken that into a shipgirl, I'd have an Anti-Celestial Armor Maiden at my command!"
Jason's lips curved in excitement. The possibilities thrilled him. Tony Stark's creations would only grow more advanced, and Jason was determined to claim them.
Satisfied, Jason stored away the Blood-Edge Armor and withdrew from the divine realm.
At the Roland family estate, Bismarck had stepped into the mortal world for the very first time.
She lifted her gaze to the sunlit sky, breathing in the fresh air of the sprawling gardens. Her usually stern expression softened ever so slightly.
The life force here was weaker than that of Jason's divine realm, yet it carried something unique. A sense of mortal warmth, of firelight and laughter, of humanity.
"So this is the world where my master resides? It is… not bad at all." She spoke quietly, almost to herself.
Beside her, Laffey nodded vigorously.
"Yes, Bismarck. The human world is really nice. It has so many tasty bottles of Laffey wine. Compared to the divine realm, I'd rather stay here and drink all day."
Bismarck's eyes narrowed.
"You only ever think about drinking, you little wine barrel. No wonder you're always sluggish and sleepy. Enough. I'm confiscating this one." She snatched the bottle of wine from Laffey's hands.
"Wha… nooo!" Laffey flopped onto the ground, rolling and pouting. "Bismarck, you're mean! I don't want to talk to you anymore!" Her lips trembled as if she were about to cry.
Bismarck froze, her composure cracking. A bead of sweat traced her temple. She was unmatched in war, but utterly clumsy when it came to her younger companions. She never knew how to deal with moments like this.
"Why does it always end like this…" she muttered with a sigh.
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