Chapter 194: The Great War Begins
Tony Stark's command echoed clearly in the ears of the Avengers and Reno's team.
The Seer, armed with a massive sniper rifle, pressed a button aimed at the gaping hole above, channeling energy into a concentrated shot that blasted into the sky.
As the energy reached just hundreds of meters from the swirling vortex, it exploded, unleashing a torrent of energy beams that cascaded upward.
These beams seemed to have a mind of their own, locking onto the Chitauri soldiers emerging from the portal.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!" The sky lit up like a dazzling fireworks display.
In just one shot, at least five hundred Chitauri soldiers were obliterated.
Yet, for the vast Chitauri forces, that loss was negligible.
As the first wave of soldiers fell, an even greater number surged forth, splitting into multiple paths toward the city and populated areas, launching indiscriminate attacks.
Massive energy blasts rained down, wreaking havoc on anything and anyone below.
The artillery on the colossal turtle-like ship began firing, launching shells that screamed through the air.
In response, the Seer expertly detonated the shells mid-air with pinpoint precision, causing them to explode before they could reach their targets.
The shockwaves rocked the gigantic turtle, sending it spiraling toward the ground.
If that monstrous creature crashed, it would leave a trail of destruction in its wake.
This was the terrifying aspect of the war machine—its entire body was a weapon of destruction.
The sight sent screams through the remaining citizens of New York, forcing them into a panicked scramble for safety.
As the colossal turtle readied to plummet, Kael launched himself into the air with a powerful push off the ground.
The platform trembled beneath him, and a visible shockwave rippled through the air.
Like a rocket, Kael rocketed toward the giant turtle, delivering a devastating punch to its midsection.
The impact crumpled the turtle's formidable armor, unleashing shockwaves that rippled outward.
With a mournful roar, the giant turtle was sent careening away from its trajectory toward the ground.
In a flash, a silver-haired figure, knife in hand, shot upward, transforming the turtle into a mass of bloody pulp, raining down like meteorites.
Tony unleashed a barrage of energy beams, dissolving the mangled remains into dark, gooey remnants that fell like black snow upon the earth.
Leicy, clad in a tight leather outfit ready for battle, soared into the air.
She moved like a black butterfly, swiftly taking down Chitauri soldiers one after another.
As more and more flying vehicles descended, Thor raised Mjölnir, summoning a torrent of lightning that obliterated the enemy crafts.
Despite the overwhelming power of their group, it was impossible to entirely quell the massive Chitauri army.
The Chitauri's sole focus was to eliminate every living being in sight, and they surged toward the ground with murderous intent.
On the ground, an army awaited, and armor-piercing rounds fired at the Chitauri.
While it was challenging to kill the armored Chitauri directly, their aircraft were not nearly as resilient.
Under the overwhelming firepower, a few of the crafts were shot down.
Meanwhile, Bruce, Captain America, Black Widow, and Hawkeye were all ready for action.
Having accepted the power within him after Tony's guidance and conversations with Reno, Bruce charged toward the fallen Chitauri without suppressing the anger he'd been bottling up.
Transforming into the Hulk, he delivered a devastating punch that instantly killed one Chitauri soldier, then seized a nearby vehicle and hurled it at an aerial craft.
During his earlier fight with Tony Stark, Hulk could only take hits, but now he had the chance to unleash his frustration.
It was a simple matter to hit the slower-moving Chitauri, and even a small car, hurled with Hulk's full strength, was like a cannonball.
"Boom!" The vehicle smashed into a flying craft, killing three Chitauri instantly.
Up above, Tony, Thor, Reno, Kael, Leicy, and the Seer were engaging the aerial threat, while the remaining Avengers and military personnel handled the ground assault, each with clearly defined roles.
In war, the simplest plans are often executed with the most precision.
However, Hulk didn't concern himself with tactics; after demolishing dozens of Chitauri, he leaped high into the air.
One by one, Chitauri fell to their combined might, blood, wreckage, and smoke scattering across New York.
Loki, wielding the scepter embedded with the Mind Stone, created dozens of illusions to attack the remnants slipping through the chaos.
The Chitauri general in space seethed with rage upon seeing Loki turn against his forces.
"What's going on with Loki? Doesn't he fear the wrath of that entity?" the general snarled.
But what infuriated him more than Loki's betrayal was the realization that he had never provided intelligence about this place.
Earth shouldn't have been home to such powerful beings—how could they possess such formidable superhuman capabilities?
Though his army had avoided the initial barrage, they still wreaked havoc below, killing many humans.
Yet, compared to the Chitauri losses, the casualties on their side were catastrophic; this was not the outcome he had anticipated.
Despite being outmaneuvered, he still planned to retaliate fiercely.
After all, that entity's desired objective was not easily destroyed, so he resolved to unleash devastating weapons to obliterate Earth.
As the general plotted, a voice crackled through the chaos.
"Looks like the enemy is preparing to deploy weapons of mass destruction; get ready!"
The Seer halted his shooting, feeling the bindings on his body loosen as he delivered a critical warning.