Marvel: My Eyes Defies Fate.

In mid-air, two connected spatial gates appeared, one above and one below, forming a perfect loop. Anyone falling into this spatial gate would endlessly plummet, reappearing at the top after dropping through the bottom, trapped in a continuous, disorienting fall.

This was the same trick Doctor Strange would one day use on Loki when he came to Earth. At that time, Thor and Loki sought out Odin, but Strange banished Loki through an endless fall for half an hour. Now, Kurogai was using this exact technique on the Winter Soldier, forcing him to experience the same ceaseless drop.

"Against a real combat master, my experience is still lacking," Kurogai muttered to himself. Aware of his shortcomings in close combat, he was doing his best to compensate.

Strictly speaking, Kurogai had two other ways he could've dealt with the Winter Soldier.

The first was the Eye of Annihilation. If there was enough ambient magic for the Eye to devour, Kurogai's physical strength would skyrocket for a short time, just like during his battle with Kaecilius. He could've used brute force against the Winter Soldier. But this ability came with serious limitations.

The power boost from the Eye of Annihilation was temporary. The magic it consumed was finite. Once depleted, Kurogai would revert to his normal state, unable to use magic while the Eye was active. It severely restricted his options in battle.

In other words, while the Eye of Annihilation was powerful, its drawbacks made it unreliable. Kurogai chose not to rely on it.

The second option was his innate ability, the Eye of Geass. He could have directly controlled the Winter Soldier and ended the fight immediately. But Kurogai rejected this method as well.

He knew he would face many dangerous enemies in the future, some like Daredevil, who didn't rely on sight. The Eye of Geass wasn't a catch-all solution.

More importantly, the Winter Soldier was a combat expert. Kurogai wanted to seize this opportunity to fight him head-on and gain valuable experience. It was precisely because of this that Kurogai put so much effort into this confrontation. He didn't want to be helpless the next time a stronger opponent appeared.

"Brother Kurogai, where did that guy go?"

Skye, who had been watching anxiously, ran over the moment the Winter Soldier vanished.

"He said he'd sinned too much, so he went up to the sky to reflect on it."

Kurogai replied offhandedly. He didn't mention anything about Hydra. Skye was still young, and there were things she didn't need to be burdened with.

As for the Winter Soldier, Kurogai had no intention of letting him off easy. The man would stay in freefall for a while longer.

"Come on, I'll take you back. You've been scared enough for one day."

Kurogai spoke to Skye. He planned to deal with Hydra next, but before that, he wanted to get her somewhere safe. While the Winter Soldier was preoccupied with falling, Kurogai opened a spatial gate using his Sling Ring, escorting Skye back to the orphanage. After making sure she was calm and staying for dinner, he quietly left and returned to the abandoned factory half a day later.

"The flying trip is over. Time to come back, Winter Soldier. I hope you enjoyed the ride."

Kurogai murmured as he opened a new spatial gate high above.

Boom!

A black-clad figure plummeted from the portal, smashing into the ground hard enough to leave a human-shaped crater.

Even though the Winter Soldier's physique was far superior to an ordinary human's, enduring such a prolonged fall was punishing. A moment later, the dazed assassin crawled out of the crater. The moment he stood upright, he doubled over and vomited violently.

After a long pause, the Winter Soldier gathered himself. His instincts as a trained killer immediately kicked in, and without hesitation, he lunged at Kurogai.

"It seems you didn't enjoy the trip. No problem, it's unlimited rides here. No tickets required."

Kurogai grinned, already prepared. Another spatial gate flared to life in front of him, and the Winter Soldier crashed into it, vanishing once again into the endless loop.

His airborne torment resumed.

"I should design some new patterns for you, so you can really savor the experience. Don't thank me yet, Bucky."

Kurogai chuckled darkly. Bucky's rough landing hadn't gone over well, so this time, he planned to spice things up. The spatial gates would form a pentagon-shaped trajectory, sending Bucky hurtling through sharp angles and sudden drops.

"This one's just for you, Bucky. Don't disappoint me."

A cold glint flashed in Kurogai's eyes.

Truthfully, Kurogai was furious. The Winter Soldier had shelled the factory earlier, and if not for his magic, both he and Skye could've died.

As for the argument that the Winter Soldier had been brainwashed and was innocent? Kurogai thought it was nonsense. If someone killed because they were controlled, but bore no responsibility for their actions, the world would be chaos.

It reminded him of the future confrontation between Iron Man and Captain America. Because Bucky had been manipulated, Steve believed he shouldn't be blamed for the death of Tony Stark's parents. But who would answer for the pain inflicted on Tony?

To Kurogai, it made no sense. Bucky had taken lives. Whether controlled or not, actions had consequences. If Tony wanted revenge, he had every right to it.

This was Kurogai's philosophy: if someone came after him, for any reason, they needed to be ready to face the consequences. This was why he knew he'd never be a hero.

He wasn't righteous, nor did he claim to be. He was just a man. If someone hurt him or those he cared about, he would strike back, no apologies offered.

That was his way.

And it would never change.

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