Pepper Potts arrived at the lab with lunch. From her perspective, the laboratory was filled with robotic arms and scattered mechanical parts everywhere.
"Lunch time!"
"Thanks, just put it on the table. I'll eat later when I'm free!"
Tony Stark didn't even turn around. His mind was completely absorbed in the armor design.
Pepper felt utterly helpless. Fortunately, she had put on carefully done makeup before entering, but Tony didn't even glance at her.
It felt like winking at a blind man—completely pointless.
In the past, Tony had always been surrounded by other women, which used to make her jealous.
Now that Tony had finally changed his behavior, she had thought he would spend more time with her.
Instead, he was now spending even more time on steel suits than he ever did on those messy women.
She couldn't understand it at all—what was the point of all this scrap metal?
After staying in the lab for a while and realizing Tony was completely ignoring her, Pepper got bored and took another lunch into the next lab.
"Rimuru, lunch is ready!"
"Oh, wait a second, I'll finish this right away!"
Rimuru replied while still busy with her work.
Seeing the various machines in front of Rimuru, Pepper's face darkened. How did such a good child end up with the same bad habits as Tony?
Tony was her boss, so she couldn't use force—but why couldn't she fix a child like Rimuru?
"No, it's lunch time now. You have to stop!"
SSSSSSSSSS—
A burst of black smoke erupted as the circuit instantly burned out due to Pepper's forced interruption.
"Ahhh, Pepper sis! It's all your fault! Half an hour of my work is gone!"
Seeing Rimuru's frustration turn into reality, Pepper suddenly felt guilty.
"Is it that serious?"
"Of course! I was assembling the mech's flight legs just now—it's extremely precise. One mistake and all previous work is wasted! I was going to compete with Tony, and now he might even surpass me!"
Seeing Rimuru angry and unwilling, Pepper smiled.
Rimuru's desire to surpass Tony was, in her eyes, the most arrogant thing she had ever seen from a child.
However, after observing her for a few days, she also recognized Rimuru's incredible talent.
But could she really surpass Tony?
"Sorry, sis. Let's eat first. I won't disturb you after lunch."
"Fine."
"Wait—wash your hands first!"
"Don't treat me like a child!"
"You are a child. Why wouldn't I treat you like one? Should I treat you like an adult? You're a kid—but also a demon!"
"…"
"I really don't understand why you and Tony both love this pile of junk!"
"You wouldn't understand. Anyone who comes here eventually does. Mechs are a man's romance!"
"Mechs are a man's romance? And what are you?"
"…uh."
Rimuru felt bitter inside, but had no words to refute.
Ten days later
Looking at the shining silver mech before her, Rimuru felt immense pride.
Strictly speaking, this mech was also a modified version of the Mark series, but she had contributed a great deal herself.
Unlike Tony, who relied entirely on his armor for combat, Rimuru had far too many abilities of her own.
Her offensive methods included ultrasonic waves, toxic breath, and paralysis breath. Her defensive systems included explosion resistance and incredible regeneration. Her control systems even included sticky steel wires.
Unlike Tony Stark, Rimuru didn't need to carry so many weapons at all.
Modern weapons were merely supplements—or decorations—to her armor. Rimuru herself was already a walking arsenal.
Therefore, her armor design philosophy focused on light armor, low weapon load, high burst power, high mobility, and high durability.
Strictly speaking, her armor was closer to Spider-Man's suit—it mainly served to conceal her identity.
After all, her long blue hair was extremely eye-catching. Without covering it, her every move would stand out immediately.
If time hadn't been so tight, she might even have turned it into a suitcase-style armor.
JARVIS said, "Rimuru, congratulations. Your mech is already highly refined. Truly a genius design."
Rimuru replied, "JARVIS, you really are an honest one. It's great having you as my assistant."
"Honesty is my innate quality."
"Is my design better than Tony's?"
"Sorry, there is currently no comparative data, so I cannot answer that question." (JARVIS: this is a problem!)
Rimuru frowned. "JARVIS, you're being slippery. Has the paint job been completed?"
"Yes. The silver-white color is noble, with red and blue accents giving it a strong technological feel. Your aesthetic sense is excellent."
"Where is Tony? Did he go with gold and burgundy?"
"Rimuru, your relationship with Tony is very good. You seem to understand his preferences well. Your insight is impressive."
"So you agree with me?"
After a moment of silence: "Sorry, system error. Unable to respond."
"…"
Rimuru was speechless. "I was just teasing JARVIS—why are you complaining?"
"…I do not have complaints."
"…"
At that moment, JARVIS spoke again.
"Tony is calling. Would you like to answer?"
"Yes!"
Soon, Tony's smug face appeared projected in the lab.
"Rimuru, my second-generation suit is complete! I can compete anytime! No matter how long you wait, I'll wait for you!"
Rimuru smirked. "Wait for me? Don't joke around. My Wind God I-type armor has been ready for a long time. If you don't believe me, ask JARVIS!"
Tony Stark: "JARVIS, between me and Rimuru, who finished first?"
JARVIS: "…"
I'm tired. I just want to be a quiet AI. Why is this so difficult?
Rooftop
On the rooftop, Tony and Rimuru stood side by side, both wearing their armors.
Tony examined Rimuru's mech with disbelief.
"Wind God? That name sounds like something from a third-rate novelist. And your design is way too slim—it looks like stage costume."
Rimuru shot back, "You're one to talk. 'Mark' isn't exactly a great name either. The first British tank was called Mark I. To put it bluntly, your armor is like calling it 'Victory Armor 1' or 'War God 1.' That's either homage—or straight-up copying!"
Tony Stark was speechless.
What a disgusting comeback!
BOOM!
Flames burst from Tony's thrusters, lifting him into the air. "Actions speak louder than words. The Mark is the best. Your so-called Wind God is just a toy!"
"Oh yeah?"
BOOM!
Orange flames erupted from Rimuru's suit, shooting her ten meters into the air as she hovered above Tony.
It felt as if she was pressing down on him from above, and Tony immediately grew annoyed, climbing higher in response.
RUMBLE!
Two streams of fire tore through the night sky, piercing upward as if trying to split the heavens apart.
Terrifying!
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