One by one, the defeated Iron Men reverted to their true identities: Tony Starks from alternate dimensions. Identical faces stacked before S Universe Tony like a small mountain. Some wore shock, others resigned despair. They had lost again.
Just the day before, in the 'Anti-Tony Operations Room,' they had plotted loudly, brimming with confidence and anticipation. Now, prostrate at the feet of S Universe Tony, they felt utterly insignificant. Amid the swirling dust, only muffled groans and stunned silence filled the arena.
For a proud man like Tony Stark, seeing versions of himself fall so completely was unbearable. The humiliation was compounded by the fact that it was another Tony who had defeated them.
Then, a wave of jubilant cheers erupted from outside. In the nearby town, those who had wagered on S Universe Tony's victory celebrated wildly. Even after 28 consecutive wins, the Iron Men's aggressive display had fooled some bettors into supporting the Iron Legion, giving Tony's odds a brief revival.
"Yes! Well done! I knew that kid Tony from the S Universe could pull it off!" Rocket Raccoon shouted, leaping with joy.
Party Thor waved his hammer with one hand, a head-sized mug in the other, drinking heartily. Most of the ale went down his throat in a bold, careless gulp before he slammed the mug onto the ground with a thundering bang.
"I went all-in on S Universe Tony! I believed in him, all-in! Now we can party for days!" Thor's enthusiasm was infectious. Crowds gathered around him, shouting ideas for the next grand celebration.
Meanwhile, those who had backed the Iron Legion fumed.
"Oh! How could this happen? These pathetic Iron Men, all arrogance and no skill. My Dimension Coins, gone!" cried a Grandmaster, clutching his chest.
"Hmph, our party money all went to them, thanks to those useless tin men!" others gritted their teeth in frustration. But the unlucky bettors soon dispersed, leaving the celebrations to the victors.
Back in the arena, Tony gracefully opened his palm. The metallic armor shimmered under the sun before detaching and recompressing into a small button, which he reattached to his collar.
From a distance, the crowd surged toward him, kicking up dust in anticipation of the traditional toss—a ritual where the victorious hero was hurled into the sky. This Asgardian tradition, started by the Thors, remained a fan-favorite spectacle. Party Thor led the charge, arms spread wide like a golden bear leaping toward Tony.
Tony raised an eyebrow, shrugged, and faced the remaining Iron Men. He didn't speak, but his barely concealed smirk radiated pure confidence. Watching him surrounded by the celebrating crowd, the Iron Men seethed.
"Damn it, he won again."
"How does he even modify the laws of physics? Is this technology or magic!?"
"Did you see that expression? Arrogant, disgusting!"
The defeated Iron Men cursed under their breath, then blamed one another. No Iron Man would ever surrender to another, except when united by Tony. Their shared humiliation left them with no choice but to fly off in scattered defeat. Flames from thousands of suits streaked across the sky like falling stars, each carrying whispered curses.
White Can Iron Man lingered the longest, his gaze fixed on Tony being tossed by the crowd. His plan had never been only to defeat Tony—it was the first step in a grander scheme to reshape the Dimension Continent and alter the Multiverse. But Tony's "cheat-like" victory had ruined that first step. White Can's face darkened, pale and sinister.
Without a word, he donned his armor again, silently took off, and ignored the revelry. After all, a group of defeated Iron Men deserved no attention. S Universe Tony had dazzled far too brightly for them to matter.
But this time, something unusual occurred. As White Can rose ten meters above the ground, dozens of flames ignited from multiple directions. Steel robots, previously hidden, took flight. They traced white arcs through the air, converging on White Can Iron Man like a massive net.
"Robots?"
"Controlled by Jarvis? Aren't they supposed to handle operations? What's happening?"
"These trajectories… they feel like Ultron. Could they be out of control?"
"Everyone, be alert. They're targeting White Can Iron Man."
Even the cheering crowd around Tony paused, their attention caught by the coordinated aerial assault.
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