The magic circle in the warehouse suddenly erupted with a blinding ghostly green light, as if an abyss had opened its greedy eye, casting the entire warehouse into a Hell-like glow. Amora's illusory figure solidified within the light. Her green robe fluttered without wind, outlining elegant yet dangerous curves, as though it contained the power of destruction.
She looked down at the three figures in the shadows, a mocking smile curling across her lips. It was like a venomous snake flicking its tongue, filled with contempt and scorn. "Little ones, hiding isn't very heroic."
Before her words had faded, her slender fingers traced strange runes through the air. In an instant, several dark green magical chains shot forth like serpents leaving their dens, tearing through the air with piercing whistles as they flew toward the trio. The ghostly glow flowing across the chains' surfaces resembled dark vortices ready to devour everything.
Lee reacted almost the instant the magical chains launched. His pupils constricted sharply as the intelligent material of his Protective Suit flowed like a living thing, rapidly spreading into a silver-blue electromagnetic barrier before him at a visible speed. The corrosive force collided violently with electromagnetic power, producing a teeth-grating hiss. Ripples spread across the barrier's surface like a lake in a storm, as though it could be torn apart at any moment.
"Gwen, the disruptor! The magical fluctuations are strongest at three o'clock!" he shouted, his voice hoarse with tension and urgency as he rapidly calculated the chains' trajectories, his mind racing like a precision computer. With practiced movements, he pulled two Palm Thunder devices from his waist and hurled them hard. They traced arcs through the air toward the amplification devices at the edge of the magic circle. Every motion had been honed through countless training sessions and simulations, all so he could strike his target precisely at this moment.
Gwen had already adjusted the disruptor's settings to maximum output. Half-kneeling on the ground, she slammed her knee against the rough concrete floor. Pain shot through it, but she forcibly ignored it. Her fingertips flew over the modified control panel as if playing a stirring war anthem, every keystroke carrying the resolve to stake everything on one final gamble.
Pale purple energy waves spread outward from her in a fan-shaped pattern. Wherever they passed, the magical particles in the air began to vibrate violently, emitting a deep hum. "The electromagnetic pulse is ready! Wanda, wait for my signal!" Her voice was firm and steady, though it could not fully conceal her tension. The disruptor successfully disrupted the magical energy field. The instant Amora's chains froze in midair, Wanda raised both hands high, her hair whipping wildly under the force of magic like burning flames. Scarlet Magic surged forth like a raging tide, condensing into a massive hand of energy in the air. With the force to destroy everything, it slammed ruthlessly toward Amora. The air twisted in its wake, releasing a shrill scream.
Yet Amora's dark green shield was unbreakable. The energy hand exploded with a thunderous blast, and brilliant light filled the entire warehouse as if the sun had descended upon it.
The intense radiance made it impossible to open their eyes. A shockwave swept through like a hurricane, forcing all three of them backward again and again.
Within the blinding light, Amora tapped lightly with her fingertips. The ground suddenly shook violently, as though some giant beast had awakened beneath it, and the roaring sound was deafening. Countless thorn-covered magical vines, wrapped in black mist, burst from the ground. Like living monsters, they lunged at the trio with claws and fangs bared. Their thorns glimmered with an eerie glow, while the ground corroded wherever the black mist drifted, sending up curls of white smoke. Gwen reacted swiftly, rolling away from a vine reaching for her ankle. Her movements were agile and nimble as arcs from her stun device reduced the approaching vines to charred husks, filling the air with the smell of burning.
But strangely, new vines sprouted wildly from the blackened remnants, growing at an astonishing speed as though they could never be destroyed. The flame jets on Lee's Protective Suit shrieked, blue-white flames forming a wall of fire in an attempt to block the vines' advance. But the vines secreted fire-resistant mucus under the intense heat. The flames gradually died beneath its effect, struggling briefly before being swallowed by darkness.
"She's targeting our conventional attack patterns!" Lee said urgently through the tactical earpiece. The scanning system of his Protective Suit shared battlefield data in real time across the retinal displays of all three. Sweat covered his forehead and streamed down his cheeks. His heart pounded like a war drum, yet he continued his calm analysis.
His mind raced as he searched for a way to break the deadlock, every cell in his body screaming for him to defeat the enemy before them. Scarlet light gleamed eerily in Wanda's eyes as she precisely caught a node in Amora's magical fluctuations amid the mass of vines. Excitement and tension flashed in her gaze. "There's a gap in the shield at the southeast corner! Gwen, disrupt it. I'll keep her occupied!" Her hands danced as she chanted. Ancient, mysterious incantations echoed through the warehouse, and six spinning magic circles emerged in the air, each radiating powerful energy fluctuations. Scarlet beams poured down like a barrage, forcing Amora to divide her attention to maintaining her shield. Every beam that struck it produced a deafening boom. Deep cracks appeared along the warehouse walls, and dust rained down as though the entire building were trembling beneath the overwhelming power.
Seizing the opportunity, Gwen switched the disruptor to frequency resonance mode. Her hands trembled faintly from prolonged operation, but her eyes remained incomparably resolute. The pale purple energy waves resonated strangely with Wanda's magic, turning the entire warehouse into an enormous resonance chamber that produced a deafening hum. The metal supports overhead began to twist and shudder, groaning under the strain as though they might collapse at any moment. At last, cracks appeared in Amora's composure. She shouted angrily, "You annoying flies!" Raising her hand, she gathered a sphere of dark green energy. It kept expanding, emanating a suffocating pressure as though it could devour the entire world the next second. The light flowing over its surface resembled a miniature black hole, pulling in everything around it.
At that critical moment, a black figure swept through the damaged ventilation duct like a phantom. Natasha's twin guns spat specialized rounds, which erupted into EMP pulses the instant they touched the magical energy sphere. The powerful electromagnetic pulses spread like ripples through water, disabling electronic devices wherever they went. "Now!" Her voice came through the hidden communications channel in Lee's Protective Suit, decisive beyond question, like a ray of light in the darkness. At the same time, the shock grenade she threw struck the magic circle's core device with precision. The force of the explosion violently shook the entire warehouse as though a powerful earthquake had struck. Dust and debris fell like rain, smoke filled the air, and visibility plummeted.
Lee immediately seized the fleeting chance and pushed his Protective Suit into emergency overclocking. Dazzling white light spread across the intelligent material, and a brilliant aura of energy surrounded his body, making him seem like a miniature sun. Like a silver meteor, he burst through the shield during the opening created by the EMP interference, moving so fast that the eye could barely follow, leaving a long afterimage in the air.
The Shock Gauntlet collided with Amora's magical barrier, and the resulting shockwave shattered every pane of glass in the warehouse. Fragments sprayed like rain, glinting dangerously in the ghostly green light. Gwen took the chance to embed an electromagnetic pulse bomb into the magic circle's core. Completely focused, veins bulged on her forehead as she pressed both hands tightly against the bomb to keep the magical force from knocking it away. Her teeth clenched with an audible grind, and her body trembled slightly from exertion. Only one thought remained in her mind: complete the mission. Meanwhile, Wanda wove Chaos Magic into a cage that trapped Amora's movements. The scarlet magical prison continuously tightened as Amora struggled wildly within it, roaring in fury. Her magic repeatedly battered the cage in an attempt to escape. Ripples spread across its surface, but it never broke.
When the blue light from the detonating electromagnetic pulse bomb swallowed the entire warehouse, the intense glare made it impossible to open their eyes. The huge explosion was like a thunderclap, leaving their eardrums aching. A powerful blast wave swept through and hurled the three of them to the ground. As the smoke gradually dispersed, Natasha emerged from the shadows. Her hair was slightly disheveled and dust clung to her body, but her gaze remained sharp as an eagle's. Faint gunpowder smoke still curled around her fingertips as she casually tossed out a smart chip. Encrypted data detailing Hydra's dealings with Amora flickered across it. "Director Fury said you'd need this." She swept her gaze over the three of them, her tone carrying both approval and warning. "Next time, don't leave your backs completely exposed to the enemy."
The three of them slumped on the ground, gasping for air. Their bodies were covered in wounds and dust, every injury telling of the battle's brutality. Their racing hearts took a long time to settle. They knew this had only been Amora's projection. Only a crazed Wanda could defeat Amora herself, but that was not the outcome they wanted.
Looking at the chip in his hand, Lee knew that an even greater crisis had only just begun—and that his long-dormant plan should begin again as well.
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