Ten Rings

Authors Note-

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"Surprised to see the notorious Mandarin behind the kidnapping," Kyle remarked with a hint of scorn.

"But your men seem rather incompetent, a disgrace to the legacy of Genghis Khan."

The older man glanced at you in surprise. "You know who I am? This is quite the predicament. And for the record, I have nothing to do with this abduction. I am intrigued by the suit? Here's an offer: submit to me, and I'll grant you a place in the Ten Rings, but below me."

Upon hearing Kyle's exchange with Mandarin, Tony instantly recognized him as the true mastermind. A surge of anger flared within him, but then he considered the changes during his month-long captivity and, to his surprise, calmed down.

"Working for someone else? Who is it? And where did you get those ill-fitting clothes? Don't you know how to hang a robe properly?" Tony's trademark snark returned instinctively.

"Insolent fool! I initially valued your technology. I planned to recruit you and rule the world by my side. It seems you've forfeited your right to live."

Mandarin had always held a position of power, accustomed to having his every word obeyed. No one dared speak to him like this, and Tony Stark's ridicule stung him deeply.

"Danger! Incoming!" Baymax, ever vigilant, blared the alarm. Simultaneously, the robot sprang forward, shielding Tony. Its two pudgy yet flexible hands extended, palms automatically opening to form a spherical energy shield that collided with the beam of light Mandarin fired. Though pushed back several steps, it successfully blocked the attack.

Surprised to have his attack thwarted by a seemingly harmless balloon robot, Mandarin was momentarily stunned. He planned to switch rings and attack again, but the experienced leaders of the three-headed snake mercenary group saw their opportunity and opened fire.

Despite his formidable physique, Mandarin was still human and vulnerable to bullets. The ring on his right thumb glowed, enveloping his entire body. Bullets disintegrated upon contact with the shimmering defense. Seizing the opportunity, Mandarin charged towards the three men in black, ready to take them down.

The black-clad men exchanged glances and discarded their machine guns, engaging Mandarin in close combat.

The tallest of the three black-clad men charged first, clashing with Mandarin. The defensive glow had dissipated by then, and he landed a solid punch to Mandarin's head.

Unfazed, Mandarin leaned back without moving his lower body, dodging the punch with an iron bridge maneuver. He countered simultaneously with a kick aimed at the opponent's chin.

The black-clad man, sensing the incoming kick mid-air, remained calm. He lifted a leg and spun his body, evading the attack. He used the raised leg, now softened like a tail, to sweep across Mandarin's midsection.

At this critical moment, with Mandarin above and the black-clad man below, he pressed his hands on the sand and executed a series of midair flips, narrowly avoiding the sweeping kick. He attempted to take down his opponent in the process.

However, the black-clad man, wary of the rings, refused to give him an opening. As soon as Mandarin regained his footing, the black-clad man was already upon him. He used an incredibly flexible maneuver, his hands resembling spirit snakes, to grab both of Mandarin's wrists from an awkward angle, effectively restraining him.

"Spirit Snake Fist! Silken Hands! Who are you? Where did you learn these ancient martial arts secrets?" Mandarin, immobilized, demanded with a hint of surprise.

The black-clad man remained silent, focusing all his energy on restraining Mandarin. Seizing the moment, the other two black-clad men jumped in and landed a kick each on Mandarin's shoulders.

The combined force sent Mandarin flying. He rolled twice on the sand before coming to a stop. Fortunately, his years of training in ancient martial arts and the relatively soft sand prevented severe injury. He sprang back up like a carp and glared at the three approaching black-clad figures, his eyes burning with murderous intent. With a mighty sweep of his leg, he sent several debris flying toward his attackers.

The black-clad men responded with a hail of gunfire, deflecting the debris. But this brief delay allowed Mandarin to raise his left fist. A black-armored mercenary took the full brunt of the attack.

The freezing air, near absolute zero, sent shivers down the spines of all three fighters. They halted their pursuit and raised their circular shields for protection.

Despite the scorching desert heat, ice rapidly formed, encasing the three warriors in a surprisingly transparent, five- to six-meter-thick layer. You could even see them faintly struggling within the ice.

Tony turned to Kyle with an apologetic smile. "I'm so sorry for dragging you into this mess. It seems our days might be numbered here!"

Kyle waved his hand dismissively. "Not necessarily. Please don't underestimate me. Even if my Mandarin is strong, I'm not useless. Remember, I can do magic."

Tony rolled his eyes with a bitter smile. "What good are your tricks? Back then, you only used them to impress girls at bars, fooling naive women. They wouldn't hurt a fly. You can't seriously think a measly fireball can take down that old pervert, can you? Spare me your useless parlor tricks."

In the past, Kyle often performed simple magic tricks like creating fireballs in his hands, small whirlwinds, or changing the shape of a water cup. Tony always dismissed them as parlor tricks achieved with technological gadgets. While Tony could never figure out how it worked, he never believed in real magic.

"Not necessarily! My tricks are more than that. Watch this," Kyle insisted.

He rubbed his hands together, igniting a small flame. As he continued to rub, the flame intensified, growing larger until it became a massive fireball several meters in diameter, held aloft in one hand.

While Mandarin was preoccupied with freezing the three black-armored warriors, he suddenly sensed a surge of danger. He turned to see Kyle charging towards him from dozens of meters away, a giant fireball in hand. He launched the fireball with incredible force.

Mandarin, a well-informed man, immediately recognized the immense power contained within the fireball. Abandoning his fight with the warriors, he turned and fled in terror. The ice layer beneath him shattered from the violent energy released by the fireball, creating a powerful shockwave that lifted Mandarin into the air.

Ironically, the three black-armored warriors trapped inside the ice layer were shielded from the brunt of the attack. Their protective shields absorbed the impact, leaving them unharmed. They emerged calmly from the broken ice.

The three black-armored warriors exchanged glances and launched a relentless assault on Mandarin. The near-death experience had fueled their hatred towards him. Their attacks came in a ruthless wave, not giving him a chance to use his rings again.

Tony and Ethan stared at Kyle, dumbfounded. Tony, in particular, pointed a trembling finger at Kyle and stammered, "This... this isn't magic or some trick. Are you a magician? All those stories you told about fooling girls, were they true?"

"Of course they were true! I told you countless times I'm a magician, but you never believed me. No matter how I explained it, you called it a trick. Remember the small whirlwind? You were convinced I had a hidden hair dryer. Now, what do you say? Small flames, big fireballs – it's all fire. The principle is the same," Kyle explained, oblivious to the blow his words inflicted on Tony.

"The principle is the same? A tiny fingertip-sized flame is the same as a massive fireball the size of a chicken? Why didn't you show me this giant fireball before? All these misunderstandings could have been avoided," Tony argued, flustered.

"Why would I ever perform this magic in public places like bars, nightclubs, or even your Stark Building? Did you want me to cause a scene or blow up your building?"

Tony was speechless. Through their conversation, he realized that his arrogance ultimately caused the problem. Whenever Kyle performed a small magic trick to impress girls, Tony would make sarcastic remarks, even suggesting scientific explanations for the illusions. He never truly believed Kyle's abilities were genuine magic. Now, faced with the undeniable truth, Tony felt ashamed.

Witnessing real magic for the first time had shattered Tony's worldview. While he felt a sense of estrangement from his friend, a realization dawned on him – Kyle had never lied or done anything malicious. The problem stemmed entirely from Tony's smugness. This newfound awareness brought a strange discomfort to Tony. It seemed their friendship, once carefree, might develop unseen cracks, not from conflict but from a revelation.