Steve had used the Pegasus Bowgun to execute the finishing move, Blast Pegasus, successfully killing the Wasp Gurongi. However, after firing those shots, he was overwhelmed. The Pegasus Form's hyper-sensitive senses had forced him to process too much information in a single instant.
With sensory perception thousands of times greater than a normal human's, he could perceive every sound and visual detail within a radius of several kilometers. While he was focused on taking down the Wasp Gurongi, his concentration had naturally filtered out irrelevant data. But the moment the threat was neutralized and his focus wavered, a tidal wave of sensory input rushed in, flooding his brain with a chaotic mass of information.
Even with Steve's legendary willpower, it was impossible to digest it all at once—especially since the Pegasus Form continued to gather data relentlessly. As it was his first time using this power, he hadn't yet learned how to filter it voluntarily.
Buckling under the pressure of the sensory overload, Steve clutched his head in pain and dropped to one knee.
"Captain, what's wrong?" Kent asked, rushing to his side in concern.
"A warrior who commands the wind... when evil appears, he knows their form better than they know themselves, shooting through that evil like a gale," a relaxed voice called out from nearby.
"The green Kuuga possesses sensory abilities thousands of times beyond a normal Rinto. Utilizing such power puts an immense strain on the mind. Currently, he cannot control this ability to filter out what he doesn't need, so he involuntarily absorbs everything. This burden is what causes the side effects. To recover, he simply needs to revert his transformation and rest before the mental strain becomes permanent."
Hearing this, Steve fought through the mental bombardment and attempted to shift forms. He didn't return to the red Mighty Form, but instead shifted into a never-before-seen white state—the Growing Form. The horns on his head shrank significantly.
As his mind finally calmed, Steve stood up and stood alongside Kent.
"Who are you?" Steve asked, his guard up.
How did this man know so much about Kuuga? Kuuga and the Gurongi were relics of an era lost tens of thousands of years ago. Aside from the ruins where the belt was unearthed, no other Gurongi artifacts had been found globally. Even SHIELD only knew what was written on the ruins' inscriptions. No one in the modern world should have known the specific characteristics of Kuuga's powers.
Unless...
Steve gestured for Kent to use the Gurongi detector. Kent pulled out the device, and sure enough, it reacted violently.
"You're a Gurongi too!" Kent exclaimed, startled. He was even more surprised that this one spoke human language fluently.
Dan Kuroto, controlling this Gurongi avatar, smiled indifferently at Kent's shock. "There is nothing to be surprised about. The language of the modern Rinto is not difficult to learn."
The detector had picked him up because Dan had no intention of hiding. In fact, he wanted Steve and Kent to know exactly what this avatar was.
"What is your goal?" Kent's hands crackled with electricity, ready to strike at a moment's notice.
"What happened to Captain Rogers? Is it related to this guy?" Tony Stark landed nearby, noticing the tension and the defensive posture Steve and Kent had taken toward the stranger.
"The detector says he's a Gurongi," Kent said tersely.
Tony immediately raised his hands, his palm thrusters and weapon systems locking onto the avatar. "Another freak playing a murder game? Bad luck for you, showing up in front of Iron Man," Tony remarked.
The avatar waved a hand dismissively. "I am not here to fight, nor am I here to play. The Gegel has strict rules: only one participant at a time. Other participants cannot kill indiscriminately during another's game, or they are disqualified for breaking the rules. Furthermore, I am not a participant in the Gegel."
"Then what are you?" Tony cocked an eyebrow. "Looking to surrender?"
The avatar ignored Tony and looked deeply at Steve. "I am merely an Overseer of the game. I came to see if this generation's Kuuga has the potential to eventually challenge Daguva. Though, looking at you now, you are still far from ready."
"You must grow stronger quickly," the avatar continued. "If you do not possess the power to rival Daguva by the time the Dark Game concludes, the Ultimate Darkness will consume all Rinto. If there is no one to face Daguva in the final match, the game loses its meaning and its joy."
"You dare ignore me?!" Tony's irritation flared at being treated as irrelevant by this mysterious creature. "Now, put your hands up. Tell us everything about the Gurongi tribe and what this 'murder game' is about. Cooperate, and I might consider getting you a plea deal." Tony's suit deployed its micro-missile systems.
"LRnto, your weapons are useless against me," the avatar said dismissively.
"Is that so? Let's see if your skin is as thick as your ego," Tony snorted, firing a repulsor blast.
The avatar calmly raised his arm. The bracer on his wrist transformed into a shield, effortlessly blocking the blast.
"Tony, wait," Steve said, signaling for him to hold his fire.
Steve looked at the stranger with a grim expression. "Is Daguva the strongest Gurongi? And this 'Ultimate Darkness'—what is it? Also... what is the connection between Kuuga and the Gurongi?"
The avatar chuckled softly. "It seems you've already sensed it. Indeed, Kuuga and the Gurongi tribe share the same source of power."