The strength that Abomination possessed came from the Hulk serum drawn from Banner's body. Once that serum burned out, Abomination would die.
And unlike Hulk, his power would not grow in proportion to his anger. His peak strength had been set the moment he transformed.
In truth, even Hulk wasn't Haruto's equal anymore.
With just a thought, Haruto could end him.
Six Paths Sage Mode, Susanoo, True Thousand Hands, the Eight Gates, his triple mastery of fire, ice, and magic, even summoning Optimus Prime and Megatron—none of these were powers that Abomination could withstand.
The only reason the fight hadn't ended instantly was because Haruto was curious about the Gamma energy he had obtained from his latest sign-in.
Seeing Abomination crash and skid across the rubble, Haruto pressed off with his toes.
BOOM!
The ground beneath him shattered as shockwaves erupted outward. Stark lost his balance at once, collapsing heavily to the ground.
His gaze stayed locked on Haruto's figure.
It wasn't flight. Just a leap. But with that single bound, Haruto had vaulted several dozen feet into the air—far beyond the limits of any human.
Banner stood frozen, mouth agape. His mind raced back to the very reason he had come to New York in the first place.
This man… it was him.
The one he had dreamed of meeting.
And here they were, crossing paths in this way.
From the side, both Ross and Fury were transfixed. They had believed Haruto's power was limited to animating machinery, but his flesh was proving just as terrifying.
And what came next stunned them even further.
Haruto's body began to expand in midair, his skin shifting from pale to a familiar shade of green—Hulk green.
The difference was that his clothes weren't ordinary fabric. They were crafted from a special material from Kamar-Taj, designed to adapt and change size according to the wearer's needs.
By the time Haruto's form had grown into a two-meter-tall giant, his robes had shifted seamlessly along with him. None of the awkwardness that plagued Banner's transformations appeared here.
"My consciousness is this clear…" Haruto murmured as his arc through the air curved.
Unlike Banner and Hulk, there was no duality within him. His will was singular, whether in normal form or while channeling Gamma energy.
There was no other creature hiding inside him.
And he didn't even feel anger.
This Gamma energy behaved more like chakra, or magical power—an energy residing within him, waiting to be commanded. To use it, all he needed was intent, not emotion.
The realization only made him like this reward even more.
Because it meant…
He could use ninjutsu in this Hulk-like form.
"Seventh Gate—open!" Haruto roared.
Chakra burst from within him, erupting through his pores, manifesting as a blue vapor like boiling steam that engulfed his body.
"What… what is that?" Banner's eyes widened, unable to comprehend what he was seeing.
As the man who shared a body with Hulk, Banner thought he knew everything about what a Hulk could be. He had always assumed the Hulk was nothing more than raw muscle and rage.
But now, confronted with Haruto, he realized he didn't understand Hulk at all.
A new thought came to him.
Haruto wasn't just the man he had been searching for—he might also be the only one in the world who could truly solve his problem.
"You bastard, Haruto…" Stark clenched his fists.
Every time he saw Haruto, the man unveiled another impossible ability. And with each revelation, Stark felt the power of science shrink into insignificance.
He couldn't distinguish between AllSpark, ninjutsu, or Zanpakutō. To him, everything Haruto used was magic.
And magic made Haruto indistinguishable from a god.
Sooner or later, Haruto would become one.
Or perhaps, Stark thought grimly, Haruto already saw himself as one—a god and a dictator over mankind.
Stark swallowed hard, his unease mounting.
Ross and Fury were no less entranced, watching every second of the battle. When Haruto had leapt skyward, both men had held their breath, terrified of blinking and missing something.
Meanwhile, Abomination staggered to his feet, shaking his head.
Though Haruto had merely tossed him aside, the impact had left him reeling, his vision spinning.
And now he understood.
He understood the look in Hulk's eyes.
Why Hulk had shown fear.
Because this man…
This man was too monstrously strong.
Abomination pulled himself from the rubble, the thought of fleeing flashing through his mind.
But the next moment, he felt it—an oppressive force closing in.
His head snapped up, and he froze.
Another Hulk.
Not Banner. Haruto.
Haruto had transformed as well.
Terror, pure and suffocating, clamped down on Abomination's chest.
And before he could even react, Haruto was upon him, almost as though he were stepping on the very air itself to propel forward again.
BOOM!
Haruto's right hand slammed down on Abomination's skull, grinding his face against the pavement, dragging him across the ground like a ragdoll.
Against Haruto, Abomination looked like nothing more than a child—utterly powerless.
Ross's eyes hardened. He had to make the most difficult call of his life.
"No matter what, we have to destroy that man…" the general hissed through clenched teeth. "The military has developed a new weapon. It can annihilate the oxygen within several kilometers in an instant. Maybe the Hulk can withstand it… but him…"
Before he could finish, Haruto flung Abomination into the air once more.
"Daytime Tiger!"
Haruto's hands blurred through hand signs.
There was no need for restraint.
For a creature like Abomination, there was no reason to let him live.
Not because of morality.
But because…
He was simply too weak.
Too weak to be of any use.
Haruto's fist lashed out. The force exploded from his knuckles, condensing into the form of a massive white tiger made of pure air pressure.
It struck Abomination mid-flight, tearing straight through him.
SPLURT!
A gout of blood burst from Abomination's mouth. His eyes bulged wide as both his breath and his heartbeat ceased instantly.
Abomination—
Dead.