Taking a deep breath, Abel steadied himself, dispelling the last remnants of tension from his battle.
Throughout the previous encounter, Abel had refrained from using more lethal black magic. The reason was simple: black magic demanded an exceptionally strong will to control. Without it, not only would the spell fail, but the caster also risked catastrophic consequences. Under the immense pressure of Supergiant's overwhelming psychic power, Abel had been unable to unleash truly effective magic.
Had it been only General Deadblade, Abel would have easily suppressed him.
The synergy between General Deadblade and Supergiant had proven to be a formidable challenge. If not for Supergiant's weak combat ability and lack of defensive prowess, the battle might have dragged on even longer.
As for the Killing Curse, it was the most dangerous and potent black magic Abel had inherited from his past life. More importantly, in this world, the Killing Curse could be one of the most volatile and unpredictable spells. As an experienced mage, Abel had a premonition—if he used the Killing Curse now, he could certainly eliminate his enemies, but the magical backlash might be severe. That was why he had refrained from casting it for so long.
A wise wizard never acted recklessly in the face of unknown dangers.
The study of magic was a lifelong endeavor—a journey of learning and discovery, filled with challenges that demanded caution at every step.
"Hah..."
Exhaling slowly, Abel was about to locate Tony and the others when his communication device, previously disrupted since the arrival of General Deadblade and Supergiant, suddenly came back online. The next second, Tony's voice crackled into his ears.
"Abel! Abel! Can you hear me? Has your communication been restored?"
Tony's voice was filled with urgency, underscored by the sounds of explosions and monstrous roars. Abel frowned slightly before responding, "Yes, my communication is back. What's happening?"
"New York! Loki has opened a wormhole! Aliens are pouring in. Everyone who can fight is already here. We need you and Banner—now!"
"Is Thor there?"
"Yeah, Thor and his Asgardian crew made it. I've gotta admit, they're proving to be solid reinforcements! I—BOOM!"
Tony's words were cut off by a violent explosion on his end. It was clear he was under attack.
Seeing no reason to hesitate, Abel immediately declared, "I'll be there soon!"
Before he had even finished speaking, he stepped into a portal, emerging in the skies above New York, near Tony, who was locked in battle with a swarm of Chitauri warriors.
Spotting Tony struggling against a wave of Chitauri airships, Abel wasted no time. His wand moved with lightning speed, sending streaks of red light through the air. One by one, the Chitauri ships exploded in fiery bursts, clearing a path for Tony to escape his encirclement.
Tony, unsurprised by Abel's arrival, flew closer and gestured to his heavily damaged armor. "Abel, I need to swap out this suit—it's falling apart. I need a little time. Cover me!"
"No problem!"
Without another word, Tony remotely activated the Mark Ω Type II armor from Stark Tower. A portal opened above his head, and a sleek gold-and-red pod shot through, flying straight toward him.
As Tony disengaged from his battered Mark VI suit mid-air, he freefell, extending his arms to receive the new armor.
Meanwhile, Abel's wand danced in his hand, conjuring precise bursts of magic that obliterated any Chitauri foolish enough to approach Tony.
In seconds, the new armor reached him. The transformation was seamless—the pod disassembled and latched onto his body piece by piece, enveloping him in a fresh set of battle-ready plating.
With a burst of energy from his repulsors, Tony shot back into the fray, launching an all-out assault against the Chitauri with the enhanced firepower of his new suit. Half of the alien army was torn apart in an instant.
"Hah… Abel! Let's see who racks up more kills!"
"Oh? As you wish."
For now, the Chitauri invasion was concentrated around Stark Tower, and they had yet to spread toward Terea's location. Using the pendant linked to his mother, Abel confirmed that she was safe. With no immediate concerns for her safety, he focused entirely on the battle.
Thick black smoke billowed around him as he took flight. Every time a Chitauri warship neared, Abel's form flickered within the smoke, striking down ships with precise blasts of red light.
At that moment, a massive green figure leaped into the sky—Hulk. The beast of rage landed atop a Chitauri leviathan, tearing into it with sheer brute force.
Abel, spotting another approaching warship, swiftly conjured a blade of condensed water vapor. With a decisive slash, the liquid blade cleaved through the ship's hull, splitting it cleanly in two. The wreckage plummeted to the streets below before Hulk had a chance to attack it. The giant let out a disgruntled roar in Abel's direction before charging toward another cluster of Chitauri on the ground.
Shifting his focus, Abel descended in a swirl of black smoke, landing near Thor, who was fighting alongside the Warriors Three. As he slid forward, wand raised, a series of curses shot from its tip, decimating every Chitauri in his path.
Back-to-back with Thor, Abel fired another spell before turning to ask, "Thor, where's Loki?"
CLANG! CLANG!
Two Chitauri were sent flying as Thor's hammer swung through them. Without missing a beat, he replied, "I haven't seen him. When I arrived, he was already gone—but Amora might know where he is."
"Amora? Where is she?"
Thor sent another Chitauri crashing into the pavement before responding, "She's fighting Sif and that red-haired warrior from your world. If it were anyone else, the men might've fallen under her spell. But Sif and the redhead can handle her."
"Natasha and Sif? I'll find them now. I'll leave the rest to you!"
"Understood! And don't worry—I'll deal with that sorceress! I'll cover you!"
Thor's eyes sparked with electricity as he raised Mjolnir high. Lightning surged into the sky before arcing outward in a devastating pulse. Every Chitauri caught in the blast was instantly obliterated.
Seizing the opportunity, Abel transformed into black smoke once more, rising into the air and scanning the battlefield for Natasha and Sif.