A three-day joint manhunt unfolded simultaneously across North America and Britain. After coordinated interrogations and purification rituals conducted by Kamar-Taj and the Immortal City, Agent Victoria Hand finally obtained a more complete piece of intelligence. Kaecilius also learned how the Church of the Honored Cologne had arrived in North America and what they had brought from Scotland—unexpectedly, it turned out that the Church of the Honored Cologne had acquired that magical book in the United States, not transported it from Scotland. The Boone family diaries, which Solomon had ordered to be found, could verify this fact. The remnants of the Church of the Honored Cologne had only brought with them a golden inverted cross.
During their voyage, they inverted the cross to disguise themselves as Christian believers and began establishing Protestant churches in North America, recruiting followers under the name of Protestantism. However, due to their poor combat capability and the confiscation of all evil magic books by Kamar-Taj—preventing them from displaying any "miracles"—they often exposed their true, twisted beliefs in a hasty and clumsy manner, resulting in situations that were almost laughable. According to the captured followers of the Church of the Honored Cologne, the Protestant missionary system was extremely chaotic, which enabled them to spread their faith under the Protestant banner. Perhaps their beliefs had melted their brains, or perhaps adopting the Protestant identity influenced their behavior to mimic that of the Puritans. On multiple occasions, when the Church of the Honored Cologne attempted to preach to the local indigenous peoples of North America, they were chased down by Native Americans. Even when they managed to establish churches, Catholic competitors incited their congregations to attack them. To this day, even the Church's leadership in Scotland had no idea how the North American branch was developing—there was absolutely no centralized management within the Church of the Honored Cologne.
"There are only scattered believers in North America—at least that's what the ones we captured claim," Kaecilius said with a frown. "No organization, no coordinated activity, not even a consistent name for their faith remains. Only the tattoos passed down from generation to generation prove their identities. It's like trying to scoop a single drop of water from the ocean—without powerful divination magic, it's practically impossible. But I don't believe them. If that were true, Solomon wouldn't have traced the evidence back to the Boone family."
"The Immortal City can find them," Victoria Hand said. "According to the latest agreement, some weak artificial intelligence tools can be used to screen information. As long as those cultists' tattoos were ever photographed and uploaded, the Immortal City can locate them. That's how we caught those criminals in North America. Overall, agents operating in North America have experienced the least amount of psychic contamination…"
"Ma'am!" A message from the Immortal City interrupted Agent Hand and Kaecilius's conversation. "Tony Stark has been sighted wearing the Iron Man suit, leaving Stark Tower. Based on thermal signals tracked by Wakandan spy satellites and radar readings, he's heading in the direction of this Sky Aircraft Carrier."
"Activate fire control systems and anti-air radar," Agent Hand immediately ordered. "If Tony Stark dares to break in, make sure he regrets it!"
Tony Stark's plan to fly directly into the bridge failed completely.
Solomon was a staunch advocate of big ships and big guns. He believed that the Sky Aircraft Carrier should be outfitted with as many cannons and machine guns as possible, at the cost of reducing the number of onboard fighter jets. He transformed what was originally a minimally armed ship into a flying battleship. So instead of being greeted by a Quinjet or assault transport, Stark was met with a terrifyingly dense barrage of machine-gun fire. Even the micro-missiles he fired were intercepted by the anti-missile systems on both sides of the Punisher. Wakanda's technological capabilities far surpassed Stark's—especially under Solomon's "everything can be weaponized" ideology and the strong martial ethos instilled by Kamar-Taj, much of Wakandan tech had been turned into effective military hardware.
Powered combat armor wasn't invincible, and Stark's being shot down was the best proof of that. The Immortal City had already taken out the Iron Man suit's modular support system—namely, the Veronica system—which meant Stark had no satellite-based resupply capability.
Steve Rogers hurried back to base and issued a communication request to the Punisher.
"You're too late. Stark's already been shot down," Agent Hand said dryly. "I gave him a warning."
"Stark's fine," Captain Rogers replied, looking thoroughly exasperated. "He's just really pissed off right now."
"Then keep him under control. The Immortal City didn't pursue him because we wanted him to survive. Don't waste my goodwill." Agent Hand glanced at the control panel. "But I suspect your advice didn't help much. He's coming back up again. I can't believe he didn't drown."
"Let me go," Kaecilius suddenly said. "Let me speak to him on the deck. As long as Stark calms down, we can resolve this peacefully. Stark is important to this world. If he insists on resisting, those machine guns could easily kill him. If I go, I can prevent that."
"This how you treat your guests?" Stark stood on the flight deck in a battle-damaged Iron Man suit. He was deeply wary of the man before him, who stood there without any oxygen mask or insulation against the extreme altitude. From his outfit and the symbols on his clothing, Stark identified Kaecilius's origins. "I know this is the organization Solomon built for Kamar-Taj," Stark said. "Can't you keep him in check? Look at what he's done!"
"Every action he's taken aligns with the precepts of Kamar-Taj," Kaecilius raised his voice slightly, walking slowly between dormant Quinjets and assault transports. His voice cut through the roaring winds and reached directly into Stark's helmet. "You should reflect on yourself. This is a matter of magic. Meddling will only result in uncontrollable disaster!"
"Then all the more reason for us to work together."
"No, you don't understand. You think you can comprehend magic, that your intellect is enough to contain its threats. But ignorance is the most effective protection—and that's something you can't seem to grasp, can you?" Kaecilius made a gesture. "Steve Rogers understands what he must do. But you, Tony Stark, you think you can understand this world. Resistance is protection. Solomon is protecting you. Your approach will only lead you to a pathetic death."
"Wow! Is that a threat? Don't you think your way of doing things is a little too tyrannical?"
"This is to prevent more deaths. Every arcanist learns this from the very beginning." Kaecilius smiled. "We know the kind of guilt we carry. Solomon does too. He learned earlier and more deeply. He decided as a child to shoulder that guilt and offer his blood and flesh to mortals. That's not a metaphor—it's literal. Solomon is a born saint. That kind of sacrifice is beyond your understanding. Now, I'll give you one last chance: go back to your little nest, continue playing your world peace games, and stop bothering him."
"And if I say no?"
"Sir, energy anomaly behind you…" Friday's warning sounded. Stark instinctively turned and saw the space behind him fracturing like shattered glass.
"I'll convince you—the Kamar-Taj way," Kaecilius said. "No one would've guessed what new spells I've learned."
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Fairy Tail: Igneel's Eldest Son (Chapter 256)
I Am Thalos, Odin's Older Brother (Chapter 336)
Reborn in America's Anti-Terror Unit (Chapter 542)
Solomon in Marvel (Chapter 924)
Becoming the Wealthiest Tycoon on the Planet (Chapter 1284)
Surgical Fruit in the American Comics Universe (Chapter 1289)
American Detective: From TV Rookie to Seasoned Cop (Chapter 1316)
American TV Writer (Chapter 1402)
I Am Hades, The Supreme GOD of the Underworld! (Chapter 570)
Reborn as Humanity's Emperor Across the Multiverse (Chapter 660)
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