Chapter 174: The War between Humans and Demons

Thor and his companions, Tony Stark, and the X-Men reached a mutual understanding during the battle and began fighting against the demon army.

The battle was intense, yet no one noticed a figure standing quietly on a nearby icy mountain peak.

Clad in a brown coat with his hands in his pockets, the figure's coat tails fluttered gently in the wind, and his gaze was as sharp as a torch, looking ahead.

Despite the lively battle scene, his expression remained unchanged.

In the mirror dimension, Pietro and Bella were fighting Kaecilius and two dark sorcerers.

One must admit, Kaecilius was quite the genius.

He managed to find the Hulk and, by using soul magic, took over Hulk's body.

Kaecilius, as a dark sorcerer of his level, excelled in manipulating souls. Bruce Banner was just an ordinary soul, and Hulk had only recently emerged. There was no way they could contend with someone like Kaecilius; their souls were imprisoned in no time.

The Hulk is a unique existence in this universe.

His special body mutated under gamma radiation, turning him into a monstrously powerful being.

Most notably, Hulk's strength increases infinitely with his anger, having no upper limit. However, there is a limitation: though he becomes angrier and stronger, if the opponent's strength is overwhelmingly superior, Hulk can be defeated instantly.

A prime example is Thanos. According to the original timeline, Hulk was nearly beaten into submission by Thanos.

And this was when Thanos only used pure fist and combat skills.

Hulk's characteristic of infinite anger and strength wasn't even fully utilized.

Kaecilius, using the dark energy granted by Dormammu, further stimulated and transformed Hulk, maximizing his potential. Thus, Hulk's strength was greater than in the original timeline, especially when paired with a sorcerer of Kaecilius's caliber.

This combination was a true fusion of magic and martial prowess, challenging even Pietro, who found himself at a disadvantage.

The downside was that without Hulk's soul, his characteristic of infinite anger and strength couldn't be fully expressed, essentially trading immediate combat power for this trait.

Kaecilius was shrewd. He seemed aware of Wanda and Pietro's existence. He had his dark sorcerers absorb a large amount of dark energy almost to the point of self-destruction, temporarily enabling them to contend with Wanda.

He then dragged the three into the mirror dimension, creating a standoff.

However, he hadn't accounted for Bella's presence, which forced the dark sorcerers to split their forces against her.

Originally, Kaecilius aimed to kill Wanda and Pietro but ended up only delaying the three.

Ultimately, the goal was to fully open Hell's Gate and allow the Hell lords to enter. Kaecilius planned it well; with the Ancient One occupied by Dormammu, and only Bi Xiao and a dying Odin left, Earth was left wide open.

With even a hint of greed, the outcome was inevitable.

Would those Hell lords not be greedy?

Of course, they would. Previously, without the opportunity, they sought every way to smuggle onto Earth. Now, with the door wide open, they would certainly seize the chance.

The only outcomes for Bi Xiao were either to face the onslaught of Hell lords or to flee, while Kaecilius would then attack the Sanctum Sanctorum, breaking the magical barrier that protected Earth, allowing Dormammu to descend.

For Kaecilius, it was a win-win situation either way.

Kaecilius planned well, but unfortunately, he and Dormammu underestimated Bi Xiao. Kaecilius, a minor figure compared to Dormammu, couldn't possibly fathom the extent of Bi Xiao's power.

As for the minor skirmishes before him, Bi Xiao paid them no mind.

Kaecilius and Dormammu ignored Bi Xiao because they believed that once the Hell's Gate was opened, Bi Xiao would be attacked by the Hell lords if he tried to close it.

While the Hell lords might be cautious and not immediately intervene, they would never allow Bi Xiao to easily close the gate.

Bi Xiao understood this but was already several steps ahead.

Would he close the gate to Hell? Not likely. He preferred to keep it open and let the Hell lords come through.

Whoever emerged first would have to face his wrath.

He was waiting to see which unlucky one couldn't resist.

Bi Xiao wasn't just standing there watching; he was preparing as well, setting up offensive spells or trap spells quietly.

He wasn't afraid of the Hell lords' attack but worried that if he killed a few too quickly, the rest would flee.

He needed to draw out as many Hell lords as possible.

Once he dealt with them, the remaining ones would likely hide in Hell, never daring to come out.

Bi Xiao continued to observe and prepare.

Over there, as the Hell's Gate continued to expand, the number of demons increased, and some intelligent demons began to appear. This indicated that powerful demons could no longer resist taking action.

This also led to the result that Thor and his companions were finding it somewhat difficult to fight.

Originally, when facing the low-level demons who were mere cannon fodder, both Thor and Loki were absolute killing machines, with Loki being even more efficient at slaughtering than Thor.

However, with the appearance of those powerful demons, they immediately recognized the threat posed by Thor, Loki, and others, and naturally aimed to eliminate them first.

These demons were very cunning and often did not charge directly at Thor and his companions but rather hid and launched sneak attacks. However, they were ultimately countered and killed. After being intensely trained for so long, Thor and Loki's strength had increased significantly, making them adept at dealing with such ambushes.

Especially Loki, who, despite appearing fragile, was actually very resilient. His body was incredibly tough, and he had developed a defensive mechanism during intense battles with Wanda and Bella.

Before engaging in battle, he would first cast a series of defensive spells and trigger trap spells on himself.

His strategy was one of caution.

As a result, those demons attempting sneak attacks met with disaster, being incinerated by the triggered spells almost instantly.

Thor's approach was even simpler. His training with Pietro, Wanda, and Bella had sharpened his senses and reaction speed to an extraordinary level.

As soon as a sneak attack was attempted, he would react immediately and counterattack with his hammer.

With his current level of power, these demons could not withstand his blows.

However, Sif, the Warriors Three, and the X-Men were struggling. Sif and the Warriors Three were only slightly injured, injuries that wouldn't weaken their resolve or combat strength. Fighting while injured was common for them, and blood and wounds would only fuel their fighting spirit, making them more courageous in battle.

Tony Stark and the X-Men were having a rough time. Despite being an arms dealer, Tony found himself running low on firepower due to the limitations of the MK armor.

The sheer number of enemies quickly depleted his ammunition, leaving him to rely on basic attacks like the particle pulse cannon.

He soon found himself in a desperate situation, repeatedly saved by the X-Men's timely interventions.

The X-Men were also struggling. With Thor and his team, plus the heavy hitters Scott and Storm, they should have been safe. However, as the Hell's Gate expanded, their situation worsened.

Scott was furious, and Storm was unleashing her powers continuously, sending lightning everywhere.

Phoenix Jean Grey, Beast Hank McCoy, and Wolverine Logan could only watch and provide protection for the heavy hitters.

Scott was fine, as using his powers didn't drain his stamina, but Storm was exhausting herself rapidly.

"Ororo is about to collapse, we need to retreat," Phoenix Jean noticed Storm's strained expression and immediately shouted to Scott.

The current objective was irrelevant; they had to retreat now.

Scott continued firing his powerful red beams, clearing the demons in front of them. After a brief respite, he adjusted the power regulator on his visor and nodded, "Immediate retreat."

"Reinforcements are coming," Logan interrupted Scott. The roar of engines followed, and everyone turned to see fighter jets and armed helicopters approaching.

Missiles were launched, tearing through the sky and striking the demon army.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

In the eyes of Jean and the others, explosions lit up the sky, accompanied by the screams of demons as countless of them perished.

Machine guns from various types of armed helicopters also opened fire.

A storm of bullets swept across the sky, mowing down the demons pouring in, marking a clash between modern human technology and supernatural beings in an epic battle.

The X-Men and Tony Stark were both witnesses and participants in this human-demon war.

With the support of air forces from various countries, Tony Stark and the X-Men found their situation much easier.

High above, Thor and the others were nearly caught in the explosion's shockwave. They turned back in surprise, witnessing the scene of bullets colliding with the demon army in the distance.

Boom!

Thor swung his Mjolnir in a sweeping arc, causing a massive burst of lightning that obliterated the surrounding demons, leaving countless dead and injured. Floating in the sky, he remarked in surprise, "Midgard doesn't seem as weak as I thought."

"These weapons are quite powerful."

"It appears the Midgardians are not as backward as I imagined."

Backward civilizations are evaluated comprehensively, including factors like lifespan, cultural heritage, and weaponry, among others. Asgard's previous disdain for Midgard stemmed not only from its outdated weaponry and weak military but also from its short lifespans. Humans reproduce abundantly, much like pigs, but does that make them useful? Pigs are merely considered food.

Asgard's view of Midgard was similar: weak military, short lifespans—barely reaching a century—and extremely fragile, prone to premature death from illness or accidents.

A typical backward civilization.

Even with powerful guardians like Bi Xiao, comparable to Odin, and exceptional warriors and mages like Wanda, Pietro, and Bella, they couldn't change Thor and the others' perceptions.

However, the explosive power of those aircraft missiles in this battle was truly formidable.

At least, their basic military strength was somewhat decent.

Of course, just decent. To gods like Thor and Loki, those aircraft were mere toys.

But with aerial support, it did ease Thor and the others' burden.

Loki wielded his spear, launching a blazing fireball like a meteor into the demon army, incinerating hundreds of demons. He commented, "Those Midgardians are too fragile."

"The aircraft are not very effective against those demons; they can break through in a single wave."

Just as Loki described, despite the concentrated fire from the assembled air forces of various countries, the low-level demons were simply brutes using sheer numbers, falling like harvested wheat. However, the more intelligent demons were different.

They were not mere targets; they used black magic, moved with incredible speed, and knew how to dodge and defend.

Soon, the demon army broke through the air forces' firepower, rushing forward and tearing apart the formations.

Fireballs burst like fireworks, signifying the loss of many lives.

"Damn." Tony, who had retreated to the X-Men for repairs, saw the entire air force annihilated and his expression darkened immediately.

Scott and Storm couldn't hold back either, unleashing laser beams and devastating lightning, sweeping through the demon army, but soon found themselves surrounded by the demons.

They were now truly in a crisis.

Scott and Storm fought desperately, while Tony used his particle pulse cannon to kill the approaching demons. However, while the cannon could penetrate flesh, it only knocked the steel-skinned demons away.

The demons, slightly dazed, shook it off and continued their assault.

"We might need support. Do you have any solutions?" Tony shouted to the X-Men as the demons surrounded them completely, the sheer number of demons filling the sky and ground, triggering anyone's trypophobia.

Tony was not ready to risk himself for Earth; he was merely here for combat data. Unexpectedly, he was quickly surrounded and anxiously shouted at the X-Men.

In fact, he wondered why the famous Professor X hadn't intervened yet.

Given his telepathic powers, he should have been able to control the battlefield directly.

"Professor can't use his telepathic powers here. This area is heavily contaminated. Using his powers would result in immediate contamination and damage," Jean explained, as if reading Tony's mind.

Though she had telepathic abilities, she refrained from using them, instead relying on telekinesis to fend off demons.

The area was special, with an invisible force that burned any telepathic probe, potentially harming the user's mind.

Thus, Professor X hadn't come.

"Damn it." Tony cursed, especially seeing the rapidly depleting energy on his screen, knowing he couldn't last much longer.

Once the arc reactor's energy was exhausted, only the backup power remained, which wouldn't suffice.

They needed to break through the encirclement to escape.

The projected screen showed the skies over Greenland Island, where air and naval forces, and land soldiers were supporting the battle against the demons.

The fight was fierce.

But the casualties were mounting. The demons' iron-like skin could only be pierced by 20mm cannons or higher; missiles caused damage but the demons kept coming in waves.

Tony foresaw that if the situation worsened and the defenses were pushed back, a nuclear strike would be inevitable.

A nuclear strike was tolerable, but he would be caught in it.

He wouldn't survive a nuclear blast.

~~~

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— Completed (Chapter 277: Finale)