On the ground, the civilians who had been panicking moments earlier were now utterly dumbstruck.
They stood frozen, staring up at the sky.
Framed by lightning, ice, snow, and fire, Hermione looked like a deity descending to earth, bringing divine punishment down upon the invaders.
"Is this... a miracle?"
"Has God come to save us?"
God is a girl.
Some murmured to themselves, their voices trembling.
Others dropped straight to their knees and bowed in worship.
The Avengers were stunned too.
They had thought the Chitauri were already terrifyingly powerful, so powerful it was suffocating.
But the moment Hermione acted, she shattered everything they thought they knew.
With a few casual gestures, she had effortlessly unleashed scenes of natural disaster. Before such power, anyone would be insignificant.
Was this really something a human could do?
At that moment, the same question arose in everyone's mind.
The Sky Carrier, Control Hall.
People crowded in front of the enormous screen.
Everyone stared fixedly at it, their mouths open wide enough to fit an egg.
Hermione's small figure was surrounded by lightning, ice, snow, and fire.
She looked like a deity straight out of mythology, capable of destroying heaven and earth with a wave of her hand.
The Chitauri Army, so arrogant just moments earlier, was as helpless as a flock of chicks before her.
"I... I'm not dreaming, am I?"
An agent pinched himself hard, grimacing at the pain.
Fury stood at the front of the crowd.
Shock, relief, lingering fear... a tangle of emotions nearly twisted his dark face out of shape.
He had always thought he had already rated Hermione very highly.
But now it seemed his limited understanding had still constrained his imagination.
Hermione's power was entirely beyond his comprehension.
Thank goodness he had listened to Natasha's advice