The Chitauri army's frenzied assault was not without purpose—it was evident to anyone paying attention.
But it was an open strategy. Other than killing as many Chitauri soldiers as possible and destroying their ships, there was no alternative.
In response, a Wakandan general proposed a bold idea: why not turn the tables?
Since the Chitauri army was intent on acquiring readings of Wakanda's energy shield, why not disable the shield in that area entirely? Engage them in direct combat!
The Wakandan forces expressed no fear.
While risky, the proposal had undeniable merits.
First, Wakandan technology had already scanned the area and confirmed that Thanos' forces near Earth had concentrated their main strength around Wakanda.
The circular spaceship was clearly the command ship, while the two insect-like Chitauri motherships served as expendable tools.
Based on this analysis, they reasoned that destroying the two Chitauri motherships would put an end to this wave of probing attacks from Thanos' army.
Second, the brief skirmish earlier had already yielded a decisive victory for Wakanda.
Now, only one Chitauri mothership and a few hundred soldiers remained in the skies.
With the royal guard stationed at the scene and additional reinforcements from nearby, Wakanda could even shift to an offensive strategy.
This approach would not only prevent the Chitauri from collecting energy shield data but also repel the enemy and potentially gather intelligence on their weapons and equipment—a win-win scenario.
After careful consideration, Black Panther approved the plan.
A royal guard unit was dispatched, along with half the personnel from two nearby defense squads.
Altogether, a force of 300 soldiers was assembled, supported by two massive vibranium spear cannon installations.
Doctor Strange and his companions joined the royal guard, boarding a fleet of floating airships. Within minutes, they had moved from the inner defenses to the front lines near the energy shield's edge.
By then, the battle was already in full swing.
A large gap had been deliberately opened in the otherwise seamless energy shield.
Wakandan soldiers, organized into ten-person squads, raised cloaks in their left hands, activating personal energy shields, while firing vibranium spears with their right hands at the sky.
Each shot from the vibranium spears was as powerful as a rocket launcher.
Even with their thick armor, Chitauri soldiers hit by these projectiles were ripped from their hovercraft and sent plummeting to the ground.
However, the Chitauri soldiers had their own advantage: absolute air superiority.
Wakanda's air force had been decimated years ago during the battle between Killmonger and Black Panther for the throne. Since then, it had never been fully rebuilt.
As a result, Wakanda's aerial capabilities were almost nonexistent.
The few available options were limited to unmanned drones and automated aircraft. Trained pilots were too scarce, and until Wakanda had rebuilt a functional air force, Black Panther would not risk deploying them.
Taking advantage of their aerial dominance, Chitauri soldiers swooped across the battlefield, firing streams of bullets from above.
Doctor Strange and his companions quickly joined the fray.
However, they did not linger in battle. With the assistance of the highly disciplined royal guard, they broke through the front lines and escorted Strange and his group to a location one kilometer outside Wakanda's energy barrier.
It was only after arriving there that Doctor Strange noticed the changes in the surrounding space.
He then opened a portal and joined Peter and the others.
After Strange and his group departed, news reached Proxima Midnight and Corvus Glaive: Ebony Maw and Cull Obsidian's mission had failed, with Ebony Maw captured by the enemy and Cull Obsidian sustaining minor injuries. Soon after, they received orders from Thanos himself to retreat.
By this time, nearly all the Chitauri soldiers had been expended.
No one, except the Chitauri themselves, knew how much data they had managed to collect.
The circular command ship's defenses proved far superior to those of the Chitauri insect-like motherships.
Even the concentrated blasts from Wakanda's massive vibranium spear cannons were deflected by the command ship's shielding.
In the end, the Wakandan forces could only watch helplessly as the circular command ship disappeared into Earth's atmosphere.
After hearing the full account of the battle, Peter began to grasp the current situation.
He had since returned to Wakanda.
Overall, the mission had been relatively successful.
According to reports, the battle resulted in the elimination of over 500 Chitauri soldiers and the destruction of two Chitauri motherships.
This performance was almost on par with the Avengers' achievements during the Battle of New York—excluding, of course, the final nuclear missile.
Without Stark's life-threatening gamble with the nuke, the number of enemies taken out on the ground in New York was roughly the same as Wakanda's tally in this battle.
It was clear that Thanos was far from clueless about Earth's defenses.
On the contrary, he appeared to have a significant understanding of the forces at play.
The spatial disruption that interfered with Strange's portals, the Chitauri soldiers' suicidal assaults on the barrier—these tactics were not random.
Wakanda's capabilities also exceeded Peter's expectations.
At the very least, it wasn't the "street fight" depicted in the movies.
"It seems reality is reality, and movies are movies—they're not the same at all!" Peter thought to himself.
"Movies might lack certain details due to budget constraints or the director's limited imagination, but in reality, Wakanda—touted as a civilization centuries ahead of the rest of the world—would never be as underwhelming as it appeared in the films.
"And as for Thanos, the ultimate boss of this phase of the Marvel universe, his power is definitely far greater than what the movies portrayed."
Peter mentally prepared himself, resolving to treat the "original storyline" only as a reference rather than a script to follow.
Otherwise, unexpected outcomes might arise for reasons he couldn't foresee.
This wasn't a game where he could reload and try again.
Of course, the greatest gain from this battle was Ebony Maw.
As Thanos' top strategist and advisor, Ebony Maw held a position of immense importance within Thanos' army.
If they could extract information from him, it would greatly increase their chances in the coming Infinity War.
But Ebony Maw proved to be a tough opponent.
No matter what interrogation methods were used, he gritted his teeth and refused to divulge anything.
Finally, Doctor Strange decided to try a magical approach.
At Kamar-Taj, there was a hypnosis spell capable of piercing even the toughest minds.
However, as soon as Strange used the spell on Ebony Maw and began asking questions, Maw's head suddenly exploded with a loud "pop"!
Ebony Maw, ever defiant, had taken his own life.
(End of Chapter)
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