Red Hulk's eyes bulged wide, his stomach churning as though it were being torn inside out.
But the feeling didn't last long.
His feet slowly lifted off the ground, no matter how violently he struggled. The power bursting out from Senju Haruto far exceeded the threshold Red Hulk's body could endure.
His body was sent flying backward. The world spun before his eyes until his back smashed into the laboratory wall, tumbling him hard onto the floor.
Pfft!
Before Red Hulk could even steady himself, blood spurted out of his mouth.
Pain like he had never felt before radiated outward from within. His internal organs felt as though they had been completely shattered. His chest burned, his ribs screaming as if they had all snapped.
But none of that was the real problem.
What he couldn't comprehend was—how could Senju Haruto, who had been on the verge of defeat, suddenly explode with such terrifying strength?
In an instant, he had surpassed the Hulk.
Could it be… had Haruto not been serious before?
"This bastard…"
Gritting his teeth, Red Hulk forced himself up with a knee, gasping for air to ease the pressure inside.
He raised his head, staring at Haruto who still stood calmly in place. His overwhelming confidence felt like it had been smashed to dust by a single palm strike.
He no longer had the courage to charge forward.
Suddenly, a memory surfaced.
On Broadway.
When Haruto faced Abomination, he had casually caught the monster's punch.
Haruto could even transform into the Hulk himself.
"Was he just excited because he'd only recently gained this kind of power…?"
Red Hulk swallowed hard, his throat dry.
The brutal blow had nearly crushed his confidence, but instead of breaking him, it jolted his mind awake.
Not enough…
His strength still wasn't enough.
His gaze instinctively shifted toward the machine the Chief Scientist had developed—one capable of unleashing gamma radiation.
He had become the Hulk through gamma energy. That meant his body could endure more.
"Haruto!"
To keep Haruto from noticing his true intent, Red Hulk bellowed to draw attention, then grabbed a nearby table and hurled it across the room.
Using the throw as a feint, he bolted toward the machine, roaring at the scientists to activate it—warning them that if they refused, they would all die here.
Terrified, and under his threat, two researchers closest to the machine stiffly obeyed and pulled the switch.
But the impact had already damaged the system. Gamma radiation spilled out, washing over them.
Not everyone could withstand such energy and transform into a Hulk.
The two scientists' eyes widened in shock before they collapsed, dead on the spot.
Red Hulk, meanwhile, ignored their deaths completely, greedily absorbing the gamma energy pouring into the chamber.
He felt his power steadily rising.
Unlike Hulk's fury-driven strength, his body seemed able to absorb raw energy itself.
He was getting stronger.
"This power…"
Shock spread across Red Hulk's face.
At first, he had only intended to gamble, to try his luck in desperation.
But by coincidence, he had stumbled upon the greatest secret of his own body.
His strength could keep growing—without limit.
Defeating Senju Haruto was no longer impossible.
"Haruto!"
Whipping around, Red Hulk glared at him, though he didn't attack right away.
He kept drinking in the radiation, his hunger insatiable.
What Red Hulk didn't know was that Haruto had understood his secret from the very start.
The reason Haruto hadn't ended the fight with a single strike was because he was deliberately guiding him.
Seeing that Red Hulk wasn't attacking yet, Haruto waited patiently.
Waited for him to grow stronger.
"Haruto."
By the time Red Hulk had absorbed every last drop of gamma energy, he had become dozens of times stronger than before.
His confidence swelled once more.
His steps thundered forward.
His fists clenched tight.
He charged again at Senju Haruto.
"Now I'm invincible!"
As his roar shook the chamber, his skin began to glow with molten cracks, magma seeping from beneath—Red Hulk's unique ability.
"Invincible?"
Haruto's response was a quiet chuckle.
In less than a heartbeat, his figure vanished—only to appear directly in front of Red Hulk.
It was the Shunshin no Jutsu, the instantaneous body flicker of the ninja arts.
Red Hulk's pupils dilated in terror. He hadn't even seen Haruto move.
His brain screamed, every cell in his body roaring at him to defend or strike back—anything but freeze.
But his shock was too great. His body simply couldn't keep up.
Haruto raised his palm again, pressing it directly against Red Hulk's chest.
This time, it wasn't Gentle Fist combined with raw power.
It was the technique of the Ancient One.
Soul Separation.
Boom!
General Ross's soul burst free from Red Hulk's back, flung across the room.
He stared in disbelief at his own half-transparent body, at his ghostly hands.
"What did you do to me?!" Ross bellowed, watching helplessly as his Hulk form collapsed with a deafening crash, shaking the lab floor into another crater.
Ross's soul lunged, trying to kill Haruto—but he couldn't touch him.
He couldn't touch anything. Not even his own body.
"Do you see now? There are many ways I could deal with you. You're not invincible."
"In fact, in front of me, you don't even qualify as a strong man."
Haruto's words were calm, almost dismissive, as he waved his hand, forcing Ross's soul back into Red Hulk's body with magic.
But the words continued to echo in Red Hulk's ears.
"What the hell are you after?"
Now, Red Hulk was more confused than ever.
If Haruto had this kind of power, why hadn't he used it from the very start?
"What am I after?"
Haruto tilted his head, amusement flickering in his eyes.
"Let's just say… partly calculated, partly on a whim."
As he spoke, he brought his hands together.
The natural energy around them surged violently, rushing into him.
Marks of Sage Mode spread across his forehead.
Calculated—because Haruto had been searching for a way to control the so-called superheroes. For that, General Ross's identity was useful.
On a whim—because seeing Red Hulk had simply made him want to play.
"Sage Art—Wood Release: True Several Thousand Hands!"
As the colossal jutsu was unleashed, the entire military base shook violently.
Gigantic wooden roots burst from the ground, intertwining to form an enormous Buddha statue.
From a third of the base, the towering figure rose, a thousand hands unfurling behind it.
All of them came crashing down toward Red Hulk.
Rumble!