Chapter Nine: The Battle of London!

London, when Hao Yun arrived, Thor was in the city, locked in fierce combat with the Dark Elves. On the ground, the local commander was directing the army in a counterattack.

"Fire!"

Explosions thundered—cannons, missiles, tank shells, rocket launchers—countless light and heavy weapons opened fire on the Dark Elves’ warship. Yet Malekith, standing at the bow, remained unmoved. He spread his hands wide as ether particles surged from within, forming an overwhelming barrier that effortlessly blocked the barrage.

"Trifling tricks! Weak Midgardians, do you think your worthless weapons can harm the glorious Dark Elves? Without the warriors of Asgard, you are nothing more than livestock awaiting slaughter!"

With a wave of his right hand, Malekith sent ether particles forth, transforming them into seven or eight arrows that forced Thor to retreat. At the same time, the ether particles in the sky turned into massive stones, plummeting toward earth with the force of gravity—a meteor shower unleashed. Neither the European nor American troops, nor the agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., could withstand the devastation for even a minute. All their weapons were obliterated, and only a handful—Captain, Hawkeye, Natasha—managed to narrowly escape, thanks to their extraordinary abilities.

At this moment, the leaders in the White House and Buckingham Palace finally understood: in the vastness of the universe, the strength of individuals can indeed determine the outcome of war. Unfortunately, the world's greatest heroes had been refused a place on the battlefield...

"Nick Fury, what about the Illuminati? We need them!" the British Prime Minister shouted at Nick, demanding S.H.I.E.L.D.’s intervention as one of the five permanent members of the Security Council.

Nick Fury rolled his eyes impatiently. "The Illuminati don’t belong to S.H.I.E.L.D., remember?"

"Damn it! I said before—those freaks should have stayed locked up..."

"And then, just watch as we’re destroyed?" Nick retorted, his words sharp and pointed. The communication fell silent. The crushing defeat of two modern infantry divisions in less than a minute had proven the earth’s military might feeble and inadequate.

Without the Illuminati, other nations—especially Britain—might already have surrendered.

"What do they need?"

Fortunately, there were wise minds among the permanent members. The representative from the Eastern nation spoke up directly.

"An order," Nick Fury shrugged. "They want a request for action, signed by the United Nations. After what happened before, they’re wary—afraid of being stabbed in the back by another suggestion to drop a nuke. They demand all national leaders sign, and the order be published online immediately."

"This is a threat! The UN will not accept any threats!" the American military, a Hydra member, protested furiously. He belonged to the faction that had advocated for nukes in 2012. The Illuminati’s demand was a slap in his face.

But no one paid him any mind. After a brief exchange of glances, the UN representatives pressed their approval buttons.

"We’ll sign the order and publish it online at once. Nick Fury, contact the Illuminati and demand their immediate intervention! Earth is on the brink—we won’t let our warriors shed blood and tears in vain."

The Eastern representative spoke earnestly, and seeing the others’ agreement, the Hydra-affiliated American slumped in his chair, powerless. He knew that if he dared to launch a nuke now, he would face investigations from over a hundred UN member nations. Hydra was still in hiding—it must not be exposed to the world just yet.

...

On the front lines, Malekith, having annihilated the mortal armies, waved his hands again. Ether particles turned into arrows, relentlessly driving Thor back.

Behind, Captain, Natasha, and Hawkeye exchanged glances. The other soldiers were too weak; they had to support Thor.

Barton stood tall, bow drawn, explosive arrow nocked—fired!

Malekith was caught off guard, struck squarely by Barton’s silent arrow. Had his ether defenses not been so strong, the explosion would have broken his shield and left him exposed to Thor’s lightning.

"Ants!" Malekith sneered. "You wish to join the battle between me and the Asgardian warrior? You are still far too weak!"

He retaliated with a blast of ether particles. Fortunately, Captain saw the danger, raised his shield, and blocked the attack. Natasha and Barton narrowly avoided being pierced.

"Thunder!"

Thor summoned lightning, breaking apart the ether particles aimed at the trio. Together, he lunged at Malekith.

"Where are the Knights and Tony? Get them here—you’re no match for the Dark Elves!"

"I wish I could," Captain said with a bitter smile, fighting beside Thor and blocking attack after attack. "But we were redeployed—they never came!"

"Redeployed? Are your leaders idiots?! Why weaken your strongest team? In Asgard, the strongest only reinforce, never diminish!"

"How should I know? I’m just a soldier. Maybe they really are brainless!"

Thor and Captain grumbled about S.H.I.E.L.D.’s leadership as they fought. Hearing their conversation in the temporary command room, the world’s leaders turned pale. Even aliens understood the importance of keeping the strongest team at full strength, while they had tried to weaken and control—leading to chaos. Surely, they must be fools.

"Nick! How much longer until the Illuminati arrive?" the British representative roared. The battle was in London—his capital! Malekith was the leader of a race, and though he seemed unsupported against Thor and earth’s heroes, the other Dark Elves were already massacring civilians, searching for the barrier rods, and preparing to unite the Nine Realms. The police and military suffered heavy casualties.

"I just spoke to Tony. They’re guarding other wormholes—fastest, they’ll be here in fifteen minutes!" Hill reported to Nick Fury, her expression icy.

Nick slammed his fist on the table. "Damn it!" Then, grabbing the phone, he dialed Tony again.

"Bring your Illuminati to the scene immediately! We’ll give you five minutes—no more! If you’re late, you’ll be collecting bodies for us!"

Having shouted, Nick Fury grabbed his gun and was about to charge into battle...