84 Clash of Artificial Intelligences
Tony wasn't a warrior; he didn't have the kind of desire for victory and honor that warriors often did.
However, he was still fueled by a burning desire to defeat Russell.
Not for any other reason than the true developer of Russell's battle suit!
As a top-tier weapons inventor, Tony had been invincible for far too long.
But now, he had found an opponent who could rival him in the realm of weapon development.
No, it wasn't just rivalry.
Based on the current situation, the opponent's weapon development capabilities might even surpass his own.
After all, he currently couldn't achieve the astounding power of the palm-sized Repulsor Beam.
Although J.A.R.V.I.S. didn't understand why Tony would take the risk of getting hurt to shake off Russell, if Tony issued a command, J.A.R.V.I.S. would execute it one hundred percent.
In this regard, artificial intelligences like J.A.R.V.I.S. and No. 3 were much more reliable than human underlings.
At least they didn't have any unnecessary thoughts.
When J.A.R.V.I.S. took control of the Mark 3, the suit, which had been in high-speed flight, suddenly executed an extreme limit maneuver.
Damn it!
Russell hadn't expected Tony to take things to such an extreme.
While flying rapidly towards the Mark 3, he narrowly avoided a collision.
The Endosymbiotic Battle Armor and the Mark 3 brushed past each other.
In an instant, Tony vanished from Russell's line of sight.
If not for the exceptional radar on the Endosymbiotic Battle Armor, the Mark 3's sudden extreme limit maneuver would have allowed Russell to completely lose track of the target.
Watching the virtual screen inside his helmet, Russell hesitated for a moment, then quickly gave a command to No. 3.
"No. 3, take control of the Endosymbiotic Battle Armor and catch up to Tony Stark!"
"Understood, sir!"
No. 3's voice immediately echoed.
In the next moment, primary control of the Endosymbiotic Battle Armor shifted to No. 3.
After assuming control, No. 3 activated the flaps and flight attitude assistance on the Endosymbiotic Battle Armor.
In the blink of an eye, the Endosymbiotic Battle Armor surged toward the Mark 3 at extreme speed.
Russell didn't know that Tony had handed control of the Mark 3 over to J.A.R.V.I.S.
However, judging by the Mark 3's current extreme maneuvering, Tony seemed to be going all out.
Under J.A.R.V.I.S.'s control, the Mark 3 executed a variety of aerial maneuvers that left even elite fighter pilots astonished, tracing awe-inspiring flight paths through the air.
Nevertheless, even with these maneuvers, the Zaku form of the Endosymbiotic Battle Armor remained tenaciously latched onto the Mark 3.
On the surface, it was a contest between Russell and Tony.
However, in reality, it was a contest between No. 3 and J.A.R.V.I.S., the two artificial intelligences.
Sharp turns, barrel rolls, high-G turns, low-G turns, rolling scissors, Immelmanns, half-rolls, high-alpha maneuvers...
No. 3 and J.A.R.V.I.S. were currently engaging in a dogfight like two ace pilots at top speed, executing various aerial combat tactics, chasing and dodging each other without yielding.
As they pursued each other at extreme speeds, No. 3 and J.A.R.V.I.S. continued to launch attacks against one another.
The Repulsor Beam in their palms seamlessly switched between flight-assist mode and combat weapon mode.
Although the battle between No. 3 and J.A.R.V.I.S. was intense, their attacks didn't hold much significance.
In this high-speed state, unless specifically equipped with air-to-air weapons, other weapons were practically useless.
However, there was no denying that the scene was visually captivating.
Two humanoid Battle Armor maintained high-speed flight, firing energy beams resembling lasers from their palms.
If the setting were different, the current battle between No. 3 and J.A.R.V.I.S. would bear some resemblance to the future's mech battles.
"Sir, the target Battle suit's performance is significantly superior to the Mark 3's. Should we abandon the current tactics?"
J.A.R.V.I.S. spoke to Tony.
"Sir, the target Battle Armor's performance has reached its limit. Should I destroy it immediately?"
No. 3 spoke to Russell.
"No, keep it up!"
Both Tony and Russell made the same choice.
For No. 3, destroying the Mark 3 wasn't difficult.
However, Russell didn't want to kill Tony right now.
Even if he couldn't extract all the rewards Tony could activate, he wanted to at least extract a few more.
The Endosymbiotic Battle Armor was indeed a fine Battle Armor, but it wasn't the most powerful one in Tony's arsenal.
Preventing Tony from becoming Iron Man due to the kidnapping incident was sufficient to obtain the Endosymbiotic Battle Armor.
If he could significantly alter Tony's fate a few more times, he might be able to acquire the Phoenix Buster and Uru Armor with Odin's Blessing.
Upon receiving Tony and Russell's responses, No. 3 and J.A.R.V.I.S. continued their airborne chase, engaging in a back-and-forth aerial battle.
Time flowed steadily.
The Endosymbiotic Battle Armor and the Mark 3 flew farther and farther away.
They left New York, then the United States, and crossed the Atlantic.
After a prolonged chase, the Endosymbiotic Battle Armor and the Mark 3 arrived in Afghanistan, the same location where Tony and Russell had first met.
Both suits had depleted a significant amount of energy, but given their current consumption rates, the Endosymbiotic Battle Armor and the Mark 3 could maintain high-speed flight for several more hours at least.
After pursuing from New York all the way to Afghanistan, Russell finally decided to end this aerial battle.
It seemed that there were no rewards left to activate this time!
Russell sighed in resignation.
"No. 3, stop fooling around. Catch up and disable the Mark 3's leg propulsion system!"
"Understood, sir!"
No. 3 immediately responded.
Inside the Mark 3, Tony was still unaware that Russell had given a new command to No. 3.
At the moment, he felt that something was off throughout his body and experienced a strong sense of dizziness.
If not for his strong willpower, he might have thrown up by now.
Suddenly, he felt a distinct impact.
Turning around, he saw the Endosymbiotic Battle Armor right behind him.
Damn it!
Though he felt frustrated, Tony knew there was no other option.
The Mark 3's top speed was far inferior to the Endosymbiotic Battle Armor's. It was already quite an achievement for J.A.R.V.I.S. to keep up through all the maneuvers.
Just as No. 3 was about to grab hold of the Mark 3's right leg and destroy its flight engine with the Repulsor Beam, Tony opened a radio communication and said to Russell, "Let's stop this. You win. Don't damage the Mark 3's engine!"
"Agreed!"
Hearing Tony's voice, Russell instructed No. 3 to cease its attack and simultaneously assumed control of the Battle Armor.
"Let's talk on the ground; I'm feeling a bit dizzy!"
After saying this, Tony flew directly towards the ground.
Russell didn't say anything and followed suit.
When the Mark 3 touched down, Tony removed his helmet and bent over, vomiting uncontrollably.
He felt like he had been on a roller coaster for an entire day, and everything in his stomach was churning.
Seeing Tony retching uncontrollably, as if he had too much to drink, Russell quietly backed away a distance.
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