Hogwarts was now a scene of utter devastation and destruction, especially after the Space Stone flew out of the castle at Sebastian's summons. Without its protective influence shielding the grounds, the damage to the school and surrounding areas was even greater and more severe. If Beta Ray Bill, who had been stationed diligently in the Forbidden Forest behind Hogwarts, had not joined the battle at a critical moment, the castle itself would likely have been severely damaged or even partially destroyed by the relentless assault.
Crack...
Wanda slightly twisted her hands together with grim determination. Supergiant's head spun around three complete times before she finally died from the lethal injury.
With that final kill, all five members of the Black Order were now dead. None of them had survived the battle.
Gasping heavily for breath from exhaustion, Wanda turned her attention to the limping Pietro who was approaching her slowly. She asked with concern evident in her voice, "Pietro, how are the others doing? What is the status of our forces?"
"We have suffered significant casualties, both among the mutants and the Hogwarts teachers and staff," Pietro reported grimly.
Hearing this terrible news, a look of deep regret and sorrow appeared on Wanda's face as she thought of those who had fallen. But she quickly rallied her spirits and pushed the grief aside. The battle was not over yet. It was absolutely not the time to dwell on the dead or mourn their losses. There would be time for that later.
Wanda immediately assumed a fighting stance once more, stretching out both her arms wide. Streams of chaotic red energy surged forth from her hands and swirled around her body. But in that precise instant, Wanda keenly sensed something different about her power. It felt unusual compared to how it normally manifested. It was as if a trace of Sebastian's magical aura had been added to her chaos magic, and these chaotic powers were becoming increasingly compatible with her body and soul. The energy felt stronger and more responsive than ever before.
Boom!
A massive crimson mist suddenly soared high into the sky above the battlefield. It rapidly gathered together like a raging flood of magical energy, transforming and coalescing into a gigantic hand composed entirely of chaos magic. The enormous hand slammed down directly onto the ground below with devastating force, completely annihilating a large number of Black Order soldiers in an instant. They were crushed and disintegrated under the overwhelming power.
Wanda's sudden and dramatic outburst of power attracted much attention from both allies and enemies across the battlefield. Just then, a jet of black flame suddenly plummeted from mid-air high above. It crashed down not far in front of Wanda with explosive impact, forcing her to retreat quickly backward and temporarily avoid the dangerous attack. The flames spread across the ground, creating a barrier between her and her previous position.
The black flames gradually died down and dissipated, revealing Thanos's true form standing in the crater. Looking around carefully at the battlefield surrounding Hogwarts, Thanos also saw the fallen corpse of Supergiant lying nearby. His eyelids drooped slightly in what might have been sorrow or anger. He said in a deep and menacing voice, "I have truly lost a great deal in this battle, but I have not gained what I rightfully deserved in return. Sebastian Shaw took everything from me without mercy, so I will take his possessions back from him. Is that not fair?"
Looking directly at Thanos standing before her, Wanda showed absolutely no fear whatsoever in her expression. She displayed only a solemn and determined look as she said firmly, "You should have already been sent to the other side of the universe by Sebastian's power. Why are you here now? How did you return so quickly?"
With a casual flick of her wrist, Thanos's massive double-edged sword fell from mid-air where it had been hovering. It crashed into the ground beneath Thanos's feet and embedded itself deeply, ready for him to grasp.
"If it were the old me from before, I naturally would not have been able to return here alone so quickly across such vast distances," Thanos explained calmly. "But for the current me, empowered as I am with the Dark Phoenix Force, this distance is absolutely nothing at all. It is barely an inconvenience."
Having said those ominous words, Thanos said no more. He reached down and drew his massive double-edged sword from the ground. Then he slashed it towards Wanda with tremendous force, intending to cut her down where she stood.
Just then, Beta Ray Bill descended from the sky at incredible speed. He was swinging his Black Thunder Hammer fiercely with both hands. The hammer clashed with Thanos's twin-bladed sword with a deafening roar that echoed across the battlefield. The impact created a shockwave that spread outward. Simultaneously, Wanda stepped forward without hesitation. She unleashed a concentrated beam of red chaos energy from both hands extended before her. The energy beam struck Thanos squarely in the chest with explosive force, actually forcing him back several steps despite his immense strength and power.
Thanos looked at Wanda with slight surprise showing in his eyes. He had not expected such power from her.
"Not bad power at all," Thanos acknowledged grudgingly. "Perhaps you can cause me some actual trouble after all."
With those words spoken, Thanos casually reached out and caught Beta Ray Bill's Black Thunder Hammer in mid-swing with his bare hand. Black flames erupted around his grip, shielding him completely from the powerful lightning crackling along the weapon's surface. Then he swung his sword viciously at Bill's head, intending to decapitate the Korbinite warrior. But at that crucial moment, a massive surge of telepathic mental energy suddenly invaded Thanos's mind without warning. It caused Thanos to pause momentarily in his attack, disrupted by the psychic assault. At the same time, a Sentinel robot that had already been deactivated and was in a partially damaged state suddenly fell from mid-air above. It punched Thanos directly in the head with tremendous force and sent him flying backward through the air.
At this moment, Eric Lehnsherr descended from mid-air, magnetically controlling Charles Xavier who sat in his wheelchair. Eric brought them both down safely and they arrived beside Wanda to support her. The Black Queen Selene followed closely behind them both, emerging silently from the shadows like a phantom and standing protectively behind Wanda. With Sebastian away from Hogwarts on his mission, Selene understood that she absolutely had to protect Wanda at all costs. The young woman was far too valuable to lose.
Thanos freed himself from Charles's powerful mental intrusion after a few moments of struggle. He gathered the remaining Black Order soldiers who still survived behind him in formation. Looking at the Avengers members, Hogwarts teachers and staff, and mutants who were gradually gathering behind Wanda to form a united front, he raised his massive sword high. He pointed it directly at the assembled crowd and declared with absolute conviction, "I have cleansed many planets and many different races throughout the universe over the centuries. I have brought balance to countless worlds. And you are the group I despise the most intensely. You cling to your chaotic existence without understanding the necessity of balance. Therefore, I will not show you any mercy whatsoever. I will annihilate you all completely, making you disappear from this world forever without a trace!"
"Is that so?" a familiar voice suddenly rang out clearly across the battlefield. "Did you even bother asking me first?"
A swirling portal appeared between the two opposing sides, crackling with magical energy.
Sebastian appeared on the battlefield dramatically, accompanied by Thor, Tony, and Vision emerging through the portal behind him. As for Namor, after Sebastian had confirmed the safety of the other members of the Illuminati, he had immediately returned to Atlantis to protect his underwater kingdom.
As soon as the four of them appeared on the scene, Vision quickly retreated across the battlefield to Wanda's side without hesitation. He wanted to be near her and protect her. Seeing Sebastian, Thor, and Tony arrive together, Steve Rogers took a deep breath to steady himself. He walked step by step confidently to their side, smiling as he said with good humor, "Although the three of you are already members of the Illuminati and have access to special resources, it is still a bit unfair to forget about me at a time like this, is it not?"
Turning to face Steve directly, Sebastian smiled warmly and replied, "Captain, the three of us have all improved quite a bit in power recently. Our abilities have grown substantially. Are you absolutely sure you can keep up with us in the battle ahead?"
"I can fight all day long without stopping," Steve declared firmly and confidently. "What, are you tired already after all that?"
Hearing this characteristically stubborn response, Sebastian suddenly smiled broadly and nodded without any hesitation whatsoever. The Supreme Wand appeared instantly in his hand, materializing from nothing. With a casual tap of the wand in front of Steve, a piece of vibranium, a piece of adamantium, a branch from the Golden Apple Tree, and a wisp of concentrated gravity magic appeared before him floating in the air. These materials quickly combined together under Sebastian's magical guidance, rapidly forming a jet-black warhammer. Its shape and design were extremely similar to Thor's original Mjolnir in appearance.
"Captain, this weapon is yours to use, but only borrowed temporarily," Sebastian explained clearly. "Remember to return it when you are done with it."
"Of course I will!" Steve agreed readily, reaching out to grasp the hammer.
Steve reached for the warhammer with his hand and grasped the handle firmly. He immediately felt the incredible power flowing through the weapon into his body. At that same moment, Tony Stark fired a cluster of specialized nanobots at Steve from his armor. These nanobots were made of secondary adamantium, and while they were not quite as powerful or versatile as Tony's full vibranium armor, they still possessed absolutely formidable defensive capabilities and strength enhancement.
The nanobots quickly covered Steve's entire body from head to toe, flowing over him like liquid metal. They formed a new suit of advanced armor that granted him even greater strength and defensive protection than ever before.
Nodding gratefully to Tony for the assistance, the four of them said nothing more. Together with perfect coordination born of fighting alongside each other for years, they charged towards Thanos and his forces.
Tony Stark, clad in his gleaming vibranium armor that reflected the light!
Thor, the God-King of Asgard, wielding Stormbreaker with devastating power!
Steve Rogers, now evenly matched with enhanced equipment and weapons!
The three of them charged directly towards Thanos himself without fear or hesitation. Sebastian believed completely that these three heroes, who now possessed power far exceeding that of the original timeline, could actually defeat Thanos head-on despite him wielding the destructive power of the Dark Phoenix Force. It would be a difficult battle, but they could prevail.
Moreover, they had countless brave comrades supporting them from behind, ready to join the fight.
With this confident thought, Sebastian looked up at the ever-changing sky above them. Dark clouds swirled and lightning flashed. His real battlefield lay up there among the clouds and beyond!
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