Chapter 623: Chapter 622: The Battle of New York
The Ancient One nodded, showing no concern for the outcome of the battle.
"So, what are you planning to do next?"
Charles glanced at the Ancient One, noting that there was no other Bruce Banner coming to retrieve the stone. After a brief consideration, he replied:
"Heroes always show up at the critical moment. I'll stay here and keep you company for the time being."
The Ancient One gave Charles a knowing smile and nodded, "Then let's enjoy this war together."
…
Meanwhile-
Loki stood on the terrace, holding the scepter and watching the relentless advance of the Chitauri army. With arms outstretched, he seemed to be welcoming something.
This was his moment; he was going to crown himself king on this planet.
At that moment, Thor flew in.
"Loki."
"Shut down the Tesseract, or I will destroy it."
Loki looked at Thor, clearly displeased, "You can't destroy it."
"You can't stop it. Now there's only war."
Thor responded, "Then let it be war."
Suddenly, a flash of lightning appeared in the sky, illuminating the area around them. Both Thor and Loki were momentarily stunned and looked up.
"Chidori Sharp Spear!"
Uchiha Sasuke's hand shot out a stream of electricity, piercing through several Chitauri soldiers in its path.
Loki turned to Thor and taunted, "It looks like the title of the god of Thunder could go to this boy."
Thor frowned slightly.
After mocking Thor, Loki initiated an attack. The two brothers engaged in a fierce battle.
…
Elsewhere-
Tony watched as three Chitauri Leviathans emerged in the sky.
"Jarvis, where's Charles Doyle?"
"Sir, he has already arrived."
Tony breathed a sigh of relief and received a communication request from Natasha.
At that moment, Barton arrived, piloting a Quinjet. Natasha spoke through the comms:
"Stark, we're at your three o'clock, heading northeast."
Tony sarcastically remarked, "Took you long enough. Did you stop for takeout?"
"Head to Park Avenue. I'll draw them towards you."
Quickly, Tony lured a portion of the enemy towards Natasha, who managed to take out several Chitauri with the Quinjet's guns. However, Jarvis warned Tony of more enemies approaching.
Tony flew off to confront the new threats, leaving the Chitauri Leviathans unattended.
The massive creatures released a swarm of soldiers from their sides. The Chitauri soldiers, vast in number, latched onto buildings and smashed through windows, attacking anyone they encountered.
Barton, piloting the Quinjet, spotted Loki fighting Thor on a rooftop and redirected to engage. However, Loki used the scepter to shoot a beam of energy, causing the Quinjet to crash.
Fortunately, the Quinjet's robust construction and Barton's piloting skills ensured a safe crash landing. Steve Rogers, Kabuto, Chen Haoran, Brock Rumlow, Barton, and Natasha, who were in the cabin, ran out and immediately joined the battle.
…
At this moment, Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru also fought together, surrounded by the bodies of numerous Chitauri soldiers. Watching a Chitauri Leviathan approach from above, Tsunade declared:
"I'll handle this one."
Tsunade leaped onto the Leviathan's head and delivered a devastating kick imbued with her monstrous strength.
"Boom!"
The impact blew apart the Leviathan's head, tearing through its steel armor. Tsunade passed through the beast's head, leaving it lifeless.
But its huge body continued to smash towards Tsunade due to inertia.
"Massive Rasengan!"
Jiraiya, leaping high, conjured a giant Rasengan and slammed it into the Leviathan's body, blasting it away from Tsunade.
Tony Stark, battling in the sky, saw this and flew over.
"You're here. Great."
"Where's Charles Doyle?"
Tsunade, while tearing apart a Chitauri soldier trying to ambush them, responded, "He should be on another front."
"Got it."
Tony rejoined the battle. The number of Chitauri Leviathans was increasing.
To counter new threats, Loki had opened an exceptionally large portal. Now, ten Chitauri Leviathans were on the battlefield.
…
On another front, Sakura Haruno was clearing out minor enemies, while Naruto, in his One-Tail form, was rapidly killing enemies.
"Fire Style: Great Dragon Fire Technique!"
Uchiha Sasuke unleashed a stream of fire, forming two massive dragon heads that descended and annihilated a cluster of Chitauri soldiers.
Their actions attracted a Chitauri Leviathan's attention, which attacked them.
Sasuke, looking up at the sky, said, "Sakura, Naruto, step back."
"Lightning Style: Kirin!"
The sky filled with dark clouds, and lightning began to converge, forming a unicorn-like shape. The lightning unicorn then struck the Chitauri Leviathan with immense force.
"Boom!"
The colossal roar of the thunderbolt left the Leviathan charred and dead.
Sasuke's dramatic technique drew everyone's attention on the battlefield.
…
Meanwhile, on the rooftop of Stark Tower, Loki used the scepter to choke Thor, pinning him against the edge of the terrace.
"Hahaha, Thor."
"Did you see that lightning attack just now?"
Loki sneered at Thor, mocking, "Compared to him, you're just a god of hammers."
The jab struck a nerve. Thor had already felt overshadowed by Charles Doyle's superior control over lightning back in Jotunheim, and now there was another even more powerful wielder.
"Arghhh!"
Thor roared in fury, summoning a bolt of lightning from the sky that struck Loki, sending him flying. Thor then grabbed Mjolnir and charged at Loki.
…
On another street, Natasha and the others witnessed the brilliant lightning display.
Steve Rogers exclaimed in awe, "Is that the power of Thor?"
Kabuto Yakushi smirked slightly. Thor? No, that was our ninja technique.
Kabuto had no intention of revealing this secret. He surveyed the battlefield and said, "Our combat strength is wasted if all six of us stay together."
"I'm fast and can dodge attacks. I'll support another street where people are trapped."
"Brock Rumlow and Chen Haoran can assist another street. Captain, Barton, and Natasha, you stay here."
"This way, we can handle more enemies and rescue more civilians."
Steve Rogers, who had been considering the same strategy, agreed, "Good idea, Kabuto. We'll split into three teams."
"Kabuto, can you handle it alone?"
Adjusting his S.H.I.E.L.D.-issued forehead protector, Kabuto replied, "I'm the strongest here. I should be fine."
Chen Haoran, unusually, did not object to Kabuto's claim.
"Alright, let's do this."
The six-person team split into three groups. Kabuto and Chen Haoran headed to two other streets, while Steve, Barton, and Natasha stayed put.
Kabuto, after rounding a corner, made his way toward Stark Tower.
As soon as they split, a Chitauri Leviathan appeared before Natasha's team. Watching the soldiers continuously being launched from the beast's body, Steve Rogers contacted Tony.
"Tony, how do we take down this beast?"
"Is Banner here yet?"
"Let me know when he arrives. I can't penetrate their armor without changing suits."
But Tony's other suits were at his beachside mansion, making it impossible to retrieve them in time.
Tony pondered and then said, "If you can't handle it, don't worry about the big guy. Charles brought his ninjas, and they can take it down."
Hearing that Charles Doyle and his ninjas had arrived, Steve Rogers felt somewhat relieved. Having stronger allies was beneficial.
However, Natasha and Barton exchanged worried glances. They knew that Director Nick Fury was most reluctant to have Charles intervene in this battle.
Both were aware that the ninjas' interest in the Tesseract was as strong as Loki's.
Yet, at this moment, Natasha and Barton had no choice but to deal with the immediate threat, leaving the issue of the Tesseract for later.
…
Meanwhile-
At the three orphanages established by Charles, the Chitauri soldiers attacking on flying vehicles were unable to breach the defenses.
At the first orphanage, Iruka Umino, Obito Uchiha, and Shizune successfully held the line, with Hanabi Hyuga using her Byakugan for surveillance.
At the second and third orphanages, only a few Chitauri soldiers attacked, and they were swiftly dealt with by Teams 8 and 10.
Thankfully, the orphanages were located in the suburbs of New York, away from the central battlefield.
At Charles Agency, Michael and Selene guarded the entrance, preventing enemies from getting through and protecting many civilians on the street.
The base was heavily fortified with Ginny in her Riot armor, Venom Eddie, 200 werewolves, and John Wick. The attacking enemies were not enough to pose any significant threat.
Ninjas from the Sand Puppet Shop, Sound Ninja Base, and Mist Ninja Base also came out to protect the surrounding streets and residents.
…
Charles and the Ancient One stood on a rooftop, observing the battle below.
After watching for a while, Charles realized that the time-traveling Avengers from "Avengers: Endgame" were not appearing, nor was there any sign of Banner coming for the Tesseract.
Deciding not to waste any more time, Charles turned to the Ancient One.
"Ancient One, I've seen enough. I'm going to deal with the enemies now."
The Ancient One nodded, "Go ahead, Supreme Merlin. Remember your duties."
Charles nodded back and used the Body Flicker Technique to head to the battlefield.
…
On the rooftop of Stark Tower, after pummeling Loki, Thor shouted at him:
"Look around you! Do you think this madness will end once you are king?"
Loki glanced at the city below, turned into a warzone, and replied, "It's too late. It can't be stopped now."
Thor grabbed Loki, "No, we can stop this together."
Loki seemed to show a hint of remorse but suddenly produced a dagger and stabbed Thor in the side.
"Ugh!"
Thor groaned in pain, dropping Mjolnir. Loki sneered, "Too naive."
Enraged, Thor kicked Loki and slammed him into the ground. Realizing he couldn't gain the upper hand, Loki jumped onto a Chitauri vehicle and fled, leaving the scepter behind.
Seeing Loki disappear, Thor joined the battle against the Chitauri.
Above, a massive Chitauri warship emerged from the portal, four times the size of the Chitauri Leviathans, looming like a giant storm cloud.
…
Steve Rogers, Natasha, and Barton had just defeated a group of Chitauri soldiers when they saw the enormous warship in the sky.
Steve said, "What in the world is that thing?"
Just then, Dr. Bruce Banner arrived on a motorcycle, skidding to a stop near the battlefield.
Relief washed over the faces of Steve, Natasha, and Barton.
"Dr. Banner, now would be a good time to get angry," Steve said.
Through the common communication channel, Steve called out, "Stark, Banner's here."
"Great, get him into the fight. I've got a beast headed your way from a nearby street," Tony replied.
Soon, Tony led a Chitauri Leviathan towards their location. Banner transformed into the Hulk and charged at the beast, delivering a powerful punch that stopped it in its tracks.
The impact lifted the beast onto its legs, exposing its vulnerable underbelly. Tony seized the opportunity to launch a missile that penetrated the exposed flesh, obliterating the Leviathan.
With the immediate threat neutralized, Tony briefly communicated with the team before returning to the battle.
Charles arrived at the heart of the battle just in time to witness an incredible sight.
Kushina Uzumaki had bound a Chitauri Leviathan with golden chains, using the Adamantine Sealing Chains technique.
With a forceful jerk, Kushina pulled the beast to the ground, exuding a terrifying aura as her blood-red hair flared wildly.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Kushina's relentless punches pulverized the Leviathan's head. The beast, immobilized by the sealing chains, was beaten to death by Kushina's sheer physical power.
Charles couldn't help but be impressed. "No wonder they call her the Red-Hot Habanero!"
As he surveyed the battlefield, Charles saw the various Avengers and ninjas fighting valiantly against the Chitauri. He quickly formed hand seals and began summoning allies.
"Summoning Jutsu: Ninja Dog Army!"
"Summoning Jutsu: Aoda!"
"Summoning Jutsu: Gamakichi!"
"Summoning Jutsu: Ninja Turtle!"
"Summoning Jutsu: Katsuyu!"
"Summoning Jutsu: Shukaku!"
Just as the summoned creatures appeared, a massive laser beam from the Chitauri warship swept across a city block, leveling it in an instant.
The Avengers stared in shock, except for Tony, who had seen such devastation before.
Charles quickly issued orders, "Ninja dogs, rescue the civilians nearby. Aoda, Gamakichi, Ninja Turtle, Katsuyu, you four handle the Chitauri soldiers."
"Yes, Lord Charles," they responded.
"Shukaku, aim at the largest ship in the sky and hit it with a Tailed Beast Bomb."
The summoned creatures sprang into action, following Charles's commands.
On the battlefield of Team 7, after seeing other summoned beasts appear, Uzumaki Naruto no longer held back and used his summoning technique.
"Summoning Jutsu: Gamabunta!"
With a massive thud, the giant toad wielding a huge sword and smoking a pipe appeared on the battlefield.
"Boss Toad, help us out and slice that Leviathan!"
Gamabunta leaped into the air, cleaving a Chitauri Leviathan in half with his enormous sword.
On his hovering platform, Loki watched in astonishment as the battlefield was filled with creatures rivaling the Leviathans in size.
"What... what are these?" he muttered.
Shukaku, crouched on the ground, aimed his attack at the massive Chitauri warship. A dark purple chakra ball began to form in his mouth, growing rapidly in size.
Noticing this, the Chitauri warship aimed its cannons at Shukaku.
"Tailed Beast Bomb!"
The colossal sphere of energy shot towards the warship. A pale blue energy shield appeared around the ship but quickly cracked under the immense pressure of the Tailed Beast Bomb, which forced its way through.
"Crack!"
The shield shattered, and the bomb exploded within the warship, tearing it apart.
"Boom!"
The ship was instantly disintegrated by the explosion. Its fragments rained down, with a particularly large piece plunging towards a group of civilians who hadn't yet evacuated.
Might Guy, seeing the imminent danger, leaped into the air and activated the Eight Gates technique.
"Eight Gates: Seventh Gate of Shock, open!"
"Morning Peacock!"