"And who are you supposed to be? Tony Stark's little helper?" Wald felt the threat, his voice tinged with a hint of wariness as he addressed Frank.
Frank didn't bother to answer; he simply swung his sword at Wald.
Wald stumbled back several steps as the blade struck him, his anger flaring. I was asking you a question! How could you just swing at me without a word?
"The thing on your waist should be a Gaia Memory as well, though it seems a bit different from mine. I originally planned to spare your life to see the difference between your Memory and my Magma Memory. But it seems you're dead set on defying me. Fine—I'll use the power of Magma to melt both you and Stark into ash," Wald growled, teeth clenched as he eyed Frank's Driver and Memory.
Though the strange Gaia Memory piqued his interest, if this newcomer didn't know what was good for him, he would be eliminated along with the rest. The power of the Magma Memory was absolute; everything in his way would be reduced to soot by the surging, scorching lava he commanded!
Influenced by the Magma Memory, Wald was already in a state of high excitement. Having just defeated Iron Man, his arrogance and mania were at an all-time high. He felt truly invincible, convinced that no one could stand against him.
Frank twisted his wrist, his tone dismissive: "You talk too much. Has no one ever told you that no matter how pretty your boasts are, they don't win fights?"
Wald laughed in pure rage. "You dare look down on me? Let's see if you can still talk like that once I use the power of Magma to destroy that layer of armor!"
With a roar, his body erupted with staggering thermal energy, scorching the ground. Molten lava flowed from him, liquefying the pavement beneath his feet. Then, like a flaming meteor, Wald charged straight at Frank, leaving a glowing, high-temperature trail in his wake.
Feeling the raw energy and terrifying heat, Frank didn't dare hold back. He fully pushed the power of the Accel Memory to meet the attack head-on.
Driven by the Rider System, the Accel Memory's energy surged into the Engine Blade, extending a crimson beam of light several meters long. As Frank swung downward with all his might, the energy blade collided with Wald's flaming form. Two opposing forces of searing heat clashed, canceling each other out and scattering sparks everywhere.
However, while the Accel Memory balanced speed and power, the Magma Memory was pure, concentrated high-temperature destruction.
The result of their unrestrained clash was Frank's Engine Blade glowing bright red from the extreme heat. The Magma power had rendered the sword temporarily unusable, and Frank's armor had absorbed a dangerous amount of thermal energy. He would need to vent the heat before he could engage in intense combat again.
Wald, meanwhile, had a gash carved across his body by the Engine Blade. The Accel energy lingering in the wound disrupted the circulation of his Magma powers. Both sides had taken damage, and neither continued the assault immediately.
Tony watched the battle from the sidelines, his eyes locked onto the Accel Memory at Frank's waist. Is that the Gaia Memory Fury mentioned? But why can't I see a Memory on that magma monster? Is it inside his body? Is it because the types are different, or is the method of use different?
Wald clutched his wound, feeling something wrong with the Memory inside him. Panic began to set in. Damn it... his attacks can directly affect the Magma Memory inside my body?!
Frank's attack via the Rider System had indeed rattled the Magma Memory. Sensing the instability, Wald's bravado crumbled into a desire to retreat. He took several steps back, distancing himself from Frank.
Massive clouds of white steam hissed from Frank's armor as the Rider System vented the accumulated heat. Seeing Wald's intent to flee, Frank didn't wait for the cooling process to finish. He jammed the red-hot Engine Blade into the ground, his headlamps flashing as they locked onto Wald. He revved the handle of his Driver, and a low, mechanical engine roar echoed:
"ACCEL!"
"MAXIMUM DRIVE!"
Frank launched into the air, aiming a flying kick at Wald.
Mid-air, however, the armor—still overloaded with unvented heat—stuttered under the strain of the Maximum Drive. The energy flow jammed, causing the Rider Kick to lose most of its power. The impact wasn't enough to shatter the Magma Memory.
Though his Memory remained intact, Wald felt it shudder violently. Terrified, he gave up on any further thoughts of fighting and turned to run. Frank tried to give chase, but his armor flickered with irregular, glowing red heat. He stumbled, nearly forced out of his transformation. He could only watch as Wald vanished into the distance like a streak of fire.
"He's just... leaving?" Tony watched Frank walk away without so much as a word.
Wasn't he here for backup? He acted like I wasn't even there... Usually, Tony Stark was the one ignoring people. He had never been snubbed quite like this. Still, Frank had saved him, and Tony, though arrogant, was fair enough to recognize a debt. He wouldn't complain.
"Director Fury, is this guy one of your S.H.I.E.L.D. agents?" Tony asked into his comms, his voice sounding slightly miffed.
Nick Fury, sensing Tony's frustration, let a small smile tug at his lips. "Frank isn't a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. Our relationship is more of a partnership. I can't give him orders."
"Frank?" Tony muttered.
Jarvis immediately began a data search. "Sir, there are 16,789 men named Frank in New York City. However, the most likely candidate is Frank Castle, also known as 'The Punisher'."
The data on Frank's history appeared before Tony's eyes.
"Quite the tough guy," Tony remarked, skimming the file. "But what I'm more interested in is that 'Gaia Memory' thing. Can S.H.I.E.L.D. spare one for your consultant to study?"
Nick fell silent for a moment before replying, "Strictly speaking, S.H.I.E.L.D. does not currently have a Gaia Memory in its possession."