Meanwhile, on the other side, Natasha was locked in a fierce battle with the controlled Hawkeye. As elite agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., their combat was evenly matched, with neither able to gain an advantage.
Just then.
Bang!
Hawkeye's head was struck with immense force, and with a dull thud, he fell unconscious.
"What was that?"
Natasha was certain it wasn't her doing, yet as she scanned the surroundings, there was no one else present apart from herself and the unconscious Hawkeye.
Time ticked by, and Loki, having secured the scepter, made his escape in a quinjet. This battle was a complete and utter defeat for S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Avengers.
Inside the Holy Dragon Church, the priest stood at the forefront, holding the Holy Dragon Codex, followed by a congregation of fanatical followers of the Holy Dragon Cult.
These individuals, clad in pure white robes with gold trim, their faces mostly obscured by hoods, mumbled incantations under their breath, as if chanting something.
As their chanting grew louder, the entire church began to glow, imbuing it with an aura of sanctity.
When all the light converged upon the gold-plated Holy Dragon statue atop the church, a miraculous event occurred. The inanimate object came to life, emitting a gentle radiance that warmed everyone present.
"Praise the Holy Dragon!"
Witnessing this spectacle, the leading priest wasted no time and knelt down. The followers behind him echoed his reverence, crying out praises to the Holy Dragon as they also knelt.
Was this truly a divine miracle?
Of course not. Gods were merely beings of a higher life-form.
What was happening was merely an illusion created by Bai Qi through remote magical influence.
However, this illusion was so sophisticated that even the competent mages among the priests and followers could not detect the slightest hint of magical fluctuation from the statue.
In truth, the plan had already been communicated to these fervent followers by the priest. Bai Qi's appearance now was merely to boost their morale and encourage their fanaticism.
As Bai Qi had predicted.
After Bai Qi's eloquent speech, the emotions of both the priest and the followers reached their zenith. At this point, a single word from Bai Qi could send these followers to their deaths.
Seeing that the time was ripe, Bai Qi raised his voice and declared, "The time has come! Now, let my radiance shine upon the world!"
The priest, watching the statue return to its motionless state, slowly rose from the ground. Leading the way, he emerged from the church with his followers. Upon seeing the towering blue pillar of light in the distance, and the dense swarm of black dots pouring out from the blue portal in the sky, he knitted his brows and turned to his followers, saying, "My brethren, evil has descended. We must be the first to rise and defend the honor of the Holy Dragon!"
With that, he opened the holy scripture in his hand. A beam of golden light shot into the sky, forming a semicircle through his incantations, shielding the entire church.
The remaining followers needed no further organization. Some stepped forward to stand behind the priest, chanting to solidify the golden barrier, while others dispersed to guide the panicked populace to safety within the church grounds.
This was not an isolated incident. As the Chitauri army launched their invasion, golden shields began to appear across various streets of New York.
Although these golden shields repelled all damage, their shimmering radiance attracted the attention of many Chitauri, who launched frenzied assaults. This, however, was precisely what Bai Qi intended.
The golden shields blocked incoming lasers, and the followers unleashed golden shockwaves, repelling any Chitauri who attempted to breach them.
Sometimes, actions speak louder than words. Instead of expending efforts to promote a religion with intangible claims, the current display was far more impactful.
Following this event, the Holy Dragon Cult's influence was bound to grow exponentially, leading to a surge in its followers.
This phenomenon did not go unnoticed by the Chitauri, the Avengers, and even the government, who recognized this formidable power.
With the Holy Dragon Cult drawing enemy fire, the pressure on the Avengers was significantly alleviated.
Thor, having just unleashed a barrage of lightning, descended from the sky and asked the others curiously, "Do you have wizards in your world?"
Tony glanced at Thor and replied, "Instead of worrying about that, why don't we focus on figuring out how to shut down that thing above us? Otherwise, this war will never end."
Thor looked up at the portal and said, "This is Loki's doing. He's cast a spell around that machine, and no one else can break through it but him."
"There isn't necessarily no way."
Just as everyone was at a loss, a voice chimed in.
Following the direction of the sound, they saw a mysterious figure clad in a robe and hood.
The mysterious figure spoke slowly, "What Loki is using is merely a prohibitive spell. If the right method is found, or if it's struck with overwhelming magical power, this defensive spell will be dispelled."
Thor, annoyed by the man's pretense of mystery, stepped forward and asked, "Is that so? Earth sorcerer, Loki is an Asgardian. The magic he wields is among the best in the Nine Realms. Do you think your meager skills can break it?"
As Thor finished speaking, a massive mechanical flying fish swooped down from the sky, its target directly at them.
As the flying fish approached, everyone braced themselves for battle. However, the mysterious figure stepped forward, raised his right hand, and the flying fish's speed instantly decelerated. Then, its metallic scales began to peel off in large sections, and even the flesh beneath the scales was torn away piece by piece. By the time it reached them, the colossal mechanical flying fish had already been reduced to a pile of scrap metal.
All of them were stunned by this incredible sight, and Thor even more so.
But the mysterious figure gave them no opportunity to speak.
"This is not something you can handle. Find a place to hide, or at least do something within your capabilities."
With that, the mysterious figure lifted off the ground and ascended into the sky.
"This guy is really getting on my nerves."
Tony Stark, a man of his stature, was accustomed to being the one to show off, not to have someone else flaunt their abilities in front of him. He raised his hands, ready to demonstrate the power of technology.
"Let it go, Stark,"
Captain America stopped Tony, who was about to fire, saying, "Regardless, he's on our side. We shouldn't be fighting amongst ourselves at a time like this."
Natasha also stepped forward and said, "Now we know how to shut that thing down."
She then looked at Thor.
Thor, guessing Natasha's meaning, shook his head repeatedly and said, "I don't know magic. I've already tried. My lightning couldn't break that protective barrier."