And just like that, the Scarlet Witch, Wanda, gave up on continuing her fight with Kagura.
Thanks to Wanda's chaos magic, the Hulk had regained his senses.
However, since the battle wasn't over yet, Kagura didn't let Wanda turn him back into Bruce Banner just yet.
Their next objective was to rescue Quicksilver, Pietro—who had been taken hostage by Ultron—and to bring an end to the threat of Ultron once and for all. To achieve that, Kagura and Wanda devised a bold strategy.
[Secondary Core Fully Charged]
["White Moon" Suit Energy at 20% – Solar Charging Mode Activated]
[Outfit Transparency Mode Enabled – Set to Maximum Charging Efficiency]
[Permission to Use Core Skill Confirmed]
[Core Skill / Puppet Replica: Activated]
"Yaa~ It's been a while, Main Body-chan! Looks like your outfit's gotten even more revealing!"
With a soft blue glow radiating from her chest, particles of stardust swirled before Kagura and coalesced into a second version of herself.
This was the Puppet Replica—an artificial being identical in every way to Kagura, down to her structure and abilities.
"Hey! What kind of nonsense is that to say right after appearing?" Kagura pouted. "Aren't you supposed to be my copy? Am I really that sassy?"
"Well, who knows~? After all, my body, my personality, everything I am… is all~ from~ you~! Irresistibly adorable Main Body-chan~!" the replica chirped with practiced cuteness.
"Alright, alright, enough with the fluff. So, what's the mission this time? Just a heads-up—I can't take on Ultron without your gear or your conceptual skills!"
The Puppet Replica, Kagura's core skill, worked by converting core energy into matter via quantum transmutation, producing a fully autonomous clone with all of Kagura's memories, personality, and physical capabilities—a perfect double.
In sci-fi terms, this kind of split-body existence bound to a single will, while still maintaining some autonomy, is fairly common among artificial lifeforms—like Ultron, Cortana, or even J.A.R.V.I.S., who runs Stark Industries.
But ultimately, the Puppet Replica was just that—a puppet.
Much like how all YorHa androids are merely vessels for a single consciousness, Cortana, the replica lacked what truly made Kagura unique: a soul.
You can have multiple minds, and even multiple bodies—but only one soul.
As for Ultron…
He had no soul.
"Aah, don't worry!" Kagura waved it off casually. "I have zero intention of sending you into a head-on fight with Ultron. Your mission this time is super simple—basically just coasting!"
"Ooh? Really? That's great! I love slacking off!"
The puppet Kagura smiled. "If every mission could be this easy, I'd be the happiest clone alive!"
"Right? Right? You get me! You're me, after all!"
Kagura nodded enthusiastically. "So your mission this time is—play dead!"
"…Huh?"
The replica's smile froze. "D-Dead?"
"Mhm! Exactly!"
Kagura, completely ignoring the look of growing horror on her copy's face, continued, "This time, I don't need you to do anything flashy. I just need your body—which is identical to mine."
"...???" The puppet stared, confused.
"Oh, right. Quick question, Puppet-chan: can you voluntarily shut down your consciousness and leave just the body behind?"
"Based on past experience, if your core energy runs out or you get 'killed,' your body vanishes into light particles. That won't work for what I need."
"Ugh… So annoying!"
The puppet glared at her original. "Fine, fine! If Main Body-chan says so, I guess I have no choice!"
She crossed her arms with an pout.
"Yes, I can shut down my own consciousness. But once I do, my body will basically be indistinguishable from a corpse."
"And since I'll be sealing off my core energy voluntarily, I won't be able to restart afterward."
"I understand. Thanks, Puppet-chan! I'll treat you to barbecue next time!"
"Hmph! B-Barbecue…? I… I guess I can accept that!"
She turned her head with a pout. "But don't ask me to do weird stuff like this again, okay? Even though… if it's for you, I'll do anything…"
Ah yes, true love.
———————————————————————
—Mechanical City Core
In a vast mechanical chamber, Ultron stood silently at the center of a circular platform.
Surrounding him were arrays of high-tech equipment, glowing red indicator lights, and pulsing energy lines flowing through the walls like veins.
In front of him stood a semi-transparent pod—coffin-like in shape.
It was a synthetic incubation chamber, built using Wakanda's "Life Ark" technology.
Inside it lay the ultimate body, forged from vibranium—Ultron's perfect form.
Nearby, within a vertical energy pillar, floated the Mind Scepter, suspended mid-air by a magnetic field and encased in a crimson energy shield.
Once the new body was complete, Ultron planned to embed the Infinity Stone from the scepter into it—granting himself an unstoppable cosmic power.
There was no doubt: this was the pinnacle of mechanical life. The ultimate Ultron.
'Beep. Zzzzt—!'
The doors at the chamber entrance slid open automatically.
The Scarlet Witch stepped in, slow and steady. Behind her lumbered the Hulk—calm but still radiating barely contained fury.
"Oh? You're back already?" Ultron turned slowly, his voice cool and metallic. "Faster than I expected."
His crimson mechanical eyes scanned over the red-clad woman and the green giant behind her, finally resting on the silver-haired girl slung over Hulk's shoulder.
"Looks like you've completed the task I gave you?"
"I did."
Wanda's eyes burned with hatred as she stared at the artificial being before her—ready to tear him apart with chaos magic at any moment.
But Ultron wasn't fazed.
He knew she wouldn't dare—not while her brother, Quicksilver, was still in his hands. One false move, and Pietro would be gone.
At Wanda's signal, Hulk stepped forward and tossed the silver-haired girl onto the floor.
She rolled across the ground before coming to a stop in front of Ultron, lying completely still.
No signs of life.
"Hm…"
Ultron stepped closer to the supposed Kagura, his red eyes scanning her body with an array of sensors. No trick would escape his detection.
Even the most advanced "Second Construct" technology, or even more sophisticated holographic illusions, couldn't fool Ultron's ultra-precise electronic sensors.
Fortunately, once the Puppet Doll's core skill was deactivated, what remained was truly nothing more than a lifeless automaton.
There was no pretense of playing dead—it simply was dead.
"Hmmm… Excellent. Very well done!" Ultron examined the body and burst into laughter.
"To be honest, I didn't have high hopes for you. Even with the Hulk at your side, your power alone shouldn't have been enough to defeat Kagura."
He glanced at the body of "Kagura" lying at his feet and continued his analysis.
"It seems this woman was more soft-hearted than I expected. She must've gone easy on you… and you used that chance to strike her down. Hah! Hahaha!"
"Where is my brother?!" Wanda growled, her voice trembling with rage. "Where is Pietro?!"
"Oh, right! I almost forgot about that." Ultron waved his hand nonchalantly.
"Now that Kagura is dead, the rest of the Avengers are no match for me. I know them better than they know themselves."
"And with my ultimate body nearly complete, I—yes, I—am already invincible!"
The silver-gray machine raised his arms triumphantly, his voice brimming with arrogance. "The era of humanity is about to end! There's nothing left to fear!"
"So, rejoice! You and your dear brother may now enjoy a fleeting moment of reunion. Think of it as my final blessing to you... from a god."
As he spoke, a mechanical pod rose from the side of the chamber.
With a hiss, the door opened—and Pietro was released.
"Brother!" Wanda didn't hesitate. She rushed forward and threw her arms around him.
"Wanda… you… you saved me?"
"No," Wanda replied, shaking her head. "It was Kagura. She saved you."
She looked him in the eyes, her voice firm and resolute. "We were wrong. We kept running, letting ourselves be used. But I understand now."
"We must use our power—not to destroy, but to build a better world, the way we want it to be."
"Kindness isn't something you beg for. It's something you fight for."
Ultron was visibly taken aback by her words. "Touching. Really," he said with mock sincerity.
"But you murdered a young girl who might've been the only hope for your pitiful species… just to save your brother."
"And now you stand there, preaching about ideals? How sickening."
"Is… is that true?" Pietro looked over at the still form of "Kagura" lying on the ground. "Wanda… what did you do?"
"Don't worry, brother." Wanda's expression shifted into something far more cunning, a sly smile tugging at her lips.
"Now that you're safe… the real show is just beginning."
At that moment, faint blue lights began to rise through the chamber, drifting like stardust before Ultron's eyes.
"…Hmm?" Ultron's brow furrowed. Something wasn't right.
The body of "Kagura" that had been lying on the ground… was gone.