บท 153: Chapter 153: An Angel Had Descended
A strong wind stirred the chaotic airflow, creating a closed-off area filled with cutting blades.
The dozen or so enemies charging forward were forcibly swept away mid-attack. The disorderly currents furiously slashed at their bodies, leaving thin scars that healed almost instantly as dark energy flowed through them.
This relentless cycle of injury and healing meant these enemies weren't concerned with the magical attack's lethality. Instead, they were frustrated by the chaotic currents disrupting their movements, making normal actions impossible.
Behind them floated their leader, who used immense dark power to create a relatively still space around his body, preventing the airflow from moving him.
His eyes glowed dimly with dark light as he murmured an incantation, and a flash of black light appeared in his hand, which he aimed at Wanda.
Boom!
A dark beam of light shot towards Wanda, its overwhelming energy shattering Wanda's magic and creating a suffocating pressure that even Tony Stark found hard to bear.
Wanda stood at the edge of the highway, forming a triangle with her crossed hands aimed forward.
Buzz!
A brilliant red magic circle appeared, composed of four overlapping layers. From the first layer, a powerful red beam shot through the remaining three circles, its force intensifying with each layer. The thick red beam shattered the ground beneath it, causing significant collapse along the coast.
Tony was also swept off his feet by the sudden gusts, landing a short distance away. The wind pressure made it impossible for him to stand; he could only shield his face with one hand and watch the battle in awe.
The terrifying combat between extraordinary beings filled him with an inexplicable fear.
His eyes widened as he watched the black and red beams collide in midair.
Boom!
A thunderous explosion shook the world, the earth trembling and the sea raging. The ground quaked violently, and stones shattered. Without Pietro's help, the bodyguards would have been seriously injured or even killed.
The clash of black and red energies darkened the sky. The resulting shockwave sent the airborne enemies tumbling, many of them sustaining severe injuries. However, their faces remained expressionless as black energy passed over their wounds, healing them instantly.
Despite their cold expressions, they seized the opportunity without hesitation. The sound of sonic booms exploded as they charged toward the highway's edge, targeting Wanda, who appeared vulnerable after using her magic.
But Wanda wasn't alone.
Sizzle~~
White lightning flashed as Pietro charged at the enemies. Enhanced by his Speed Force, Pietro could fly for short bursts. He matched his running speed with his aerial maneuvers, effortlessly evading the enemy's attacks.
In mid-air, Pietro intercepted the enemies, his speed surpassing theirs. Moving like a specter, he struck their chests with lightning-quick kicks, the power of which was enough to shatter the ground.
Caught off guard, the enemies were kicked into the collision point of the black and red beams.
"No~~"
The leader instinctively shouted, unable to disperse the energy in time. He watched as his followers were consumed by the clash of pure energy, their screams echoing as they were annihilated.
"Damn it~"
The leader cursed softly. Despite his anger, he remained calm. The remains of his followers left behind ring-like objects, which ignored the energy collision and flew toward him rapidly.
Seeing this, Wanda's eyes flickered.
Before she could react, Pietro noticed the rings and decided they should not fall into enemy hands. Despite the distance of nearly 300 meters and the chaotic energy around them, Pietro took a deep breath, focused, and gathered his Speed Force. His right hand glowed with lightning as he punched forward.
Boom!
The force of his punch created a powerful updraft, disrupting the rings and sending them into the air.
Using a small magical platform as a stepping stone, Pietro sprinted through the air, grabbing the rings with his Speed Force without directly touching them.
As he retreated, he punched the leader with a force enhanced by his Speed Force and strength. The leader, having anticipated Pietro's attack, had layered himself with defenses, so Pietro's punch did not cause significant harm.
However, continuing to stalemate with Wanda was disadvantageous for the leader. He shifted his focus, his eyes glowing with dark magic, casting a curse toward Wanda.
Wanda, no novice, immediately detected the curse. With her vast knowledge of magic, she easily countered the dark spell. Not only did she neutralize it, but she also launched a series of attacks with her combination of white and black magic.
Their battle turned into a spectacular magical duel, with black lava, flames, curses, tornadoes of fire and water, and mental shocks emerging one after another.
Pietro occasionally intervened in their fight, adding to the excitement.
Tony Stark, watching from the sidelines, was stunned. The battle felt like a live-action magical movie, shattering his worldview. In his mind, money, wealth, status, and power had always been everything.
But now, everything he knew had been overturned.
A person can actually fly, and their flight speed can create a sonic boom. What kind of concept is this? How strong must their body be to withstand that level of resistance?
Moreover, there are all kinds of magic. Even just watching the battle, he felt it was difficult to breathe. In this short time, he experienced extreme environments such as storms, ice, and scorching heat.
If it weren't for Wanda thoughtfully casting a protective spell on him and the dozen or so bodyguards, he would have died long ago.
The sense of helplessness and despair caused Tony Stark to have a peculiar thought.
He disliked having his life controlled by others, and he didn't like being so weak that he could be killed at any moment, even caught in the crossfire of two battling sorcerers.
He still had wealth, and he wanted to live.
So how could he protect himself? Learn magic?
Tony dismissed the idea. Not to mention his age, just learning magic to reach the level of the girl before him would take many years.
Besides, he had no way to learn. He was sure Wanda was a kind girl, but that didn't mean she would teach him. He could stand in front of her every day, and she might initially spare him, but eventually, she would be reminded of past grievances and might kill him in annoyance.
Tony would be utterly regretful and helpless. For the sake of his life, Tony decided it was best not to appear in front of Wanda anymore.
Could he protect himself in another way?
Tony's mind started to work rapidly, racking his brain to think of a way to create something to protect himself using his own knowledge.
Weapons? Armor?
Armor. Tony chose armor. Armor that could absolutely defend against magical destruction. And considering those who could fly, he also needed the armor to fly and exceed the speed of sound.
Otherwise, he'd still be caught and killed.
It should also have counterattack capabilities.
Running away wasn't Tony's style, so he needed armor with attack, defense, and flight capabilities. What would that be?
A mechanical suit.
Tony immediately sketched a suit of armor in his mind that he could wear. But he also needed a power source to ensure the armor could fly, which reminded him of the big device in Stark Industries.
The Arc Reactor.
The Arc Reactor was a piece of technology created by his father. A large Arc Reactor could provide power for a city for a month or meet Stark Industries' power needs for years.
That would be more than sufficient for the armor.
But the Arc Reactor was too big to be mounted on the armor unless the armor was several times bigger than the reactor, which was impractical and ugly, not to mention it would compromise flexibility.
So there was only one other possibility: miniaturize the Arc Reactor.
As Tony watched the spectacular magic duel, he was also mentally designing his armor.
Meanwhile, the leader fighting Wanda was nearing his limit. He could hardly believe his eyes. If he weren't personally fighting her, he wouldn't believe a teenage girl could know so much magic.
Moreover, she used each spell effortlessly and combined them into various strange combinations.
Although she didn't know many high-level spells, her combined magic was nearly as powerful, putting him at a disadvantage. All the spells he used, both obvious and hidden, including curses, were detected and neutralized by her.
Terrifyingly, the girl had extraordinary combat intelligence. What started as an even match soon turned into her easily overpowering him.
What frustrated him most was her seemingly endless energy. After such a long fight, he was exhausted, yet she showed no signs of fatigue.
Damn, this target was too tough. He feared this mission would end in failure.
Despite his reluctance, he knew he had no choice. He stopped channeling dark energy, his body turning ethereal. Wanda's light beam passed through him, striking the ocean and creating a long trench and a spray of water.
The leader looked at the girl who had also ceased her magic and then at the white-haired boy standing on a magic circle in the sky, glaring at him. He hated that boy. If only he could reclaim the rings from his subordinates and gather the power of his great master, his strength would continue to grow.
Then completing the mission would be easy, no matter the cost he had to pay.
"You're lucky," he muttered, abandoning the rings and preparing to leave. Wanda and Pietro watched him warily, aware of his strength. Even with Pietro's help, Wanda doubted they could detain him.
Without confidence in capturing him, Wanda chose not to pursue.
However, she memorized his aura and secretly retained his curse on her. This was a signal point she could trace back to him in the future.
Women, and girls, never forget grudges.
Currently, she had no choice but to let him go, but in the future, if she were strong enough, she wouldn't.
She could torture him in many ways.
Wanda could be terrifyingly ruthless.
Thankfully, they gained something. Pietro collected the rings, which might yield useful information.
Just as Wanda and Pietro were about to let him leave, a sudden change occurred. The leader's ethereal form solidified, and a pure white hand pierced his chest. He trembled, vomiting blood.
He stared in shock at the hand through his chest, feeling a divine power that burned like being thrown into boiling oil, with the wound emitting smoke and intense pain searing his nerves.
Recognizing his assailant, he grabbed the hand, muttering a curse. A surge of dark energy swirled, and storm clouds gathered, making him like a ticking bomb.
He intended to self-destruct and take his attacker with him. This made Pietro's scalp tingle as he dashed to Wanda's side, and Wanda quickly cast layers of magical shields on herself, Pietro, and Tony Stark.
"A loyal dog, so twisted that even his soul is corrupted. What a pity."
A gentle, magnetic voice echoed. Just as the leader was about to explode, another white hand coldly and mercilessly severed his head. The head spun in the air, blood splattering, mouth still uttering curses.
The self-destruction sequence continued.
"I said, you should not have darkness."
The soft, magnetic voice declared, like a clear spring washing the soul. It was a proclamation. As he spoke, an invisible force extinguished the leader's dark power as if it never existed.
Without dark energy, only death awaited.
The head spinning in the air was caught by a hand, and the eyes saw a strikingly handsome man, dressed in thin white gauze, with pure white wings on his back.
An Angel Had Descended.
~~~
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