"Why are you looking at me like that?"
Mordo relied on his excellent knowledge of geography. Everyone was looking at him, including Aron.
"Mr. Mordo, are you really a wizard?" Steve asked with a hint of disbelief.
If that question had been asked by Tony Stark or Dr. Banner, no one would have thought it strange. But Mordo… he was a mage, not a geographer.
"Kamar-Taj also offers general knowledge courses," Mordo replied quietly, avoiding further explanations.
"Mordo, my name is T'Challa," the prince of Wakanda said calmly.
The two shook hands and exchanged a brief glance.
Aron, although he didn't harbor affection for many foreigners, had nothing against Wakanda, especially if the people were honest and minded their own business.
"Alright," Aron interrupted, "now that the coordinates are set, let's go immediately."
Now that they knew the exact location of Ultron and the two Infinity Stones, there was no reason to delay. The coordinates for any portal were set, and the group immediately moved out.
---
After passing through the portal, they found themselves above the Pacific Ocean. In an instant, T'Challa, Hawkeye, Captain America, Natasha Romanoff, Dr. Banner, and the others who couldn't fly fell into the sea like stones.
"Can't you give them armor too?" Aron looked at Tony with disgust. "This is like throwing people into the sea without any protection."
"I blessed them with the magic of the light body, but it didn't last long," Mordo explained through gritted teeth. He wasn't particularly skilled in support magic, and his version was far weaker than what the former guardian of the New York Sanctum, Daniel Drumm, could provide.
"You're right, when this is over, I'll give each of them—" Tony began.
"Stop!" Aron interrupted him. "This isn't the world of horror movies. If you're already raising 'flags' in advance, you'd better not destroy them ten times before the end, because the audience will resent it."
Not everyone understood what Aron meant by "flags," but the basic message was clear, don't invite misfortune ahead of time.
"Let's spread out and look for him," Colonel James Rhodes suggested.
"No need," Aron said coldly. "I've already found him."
In an instant, demonic wings spread from Aron, and he flew in one direction. Although the power of a demon wasn't suitable for precise scouting, the amount of energy he could release was enormous.
His aura dispersed like waves, and not far from there, tens of kilometers away, he detected a downed aircraft carrier.
"Forward, just forward!" he shouted.
Tony and the others, carrying their comrades who couldn't fly, soon caught up to him.
---
Soon, Ultron detected the group's arrival.
It didn't surprise him.
At that moment, Ultron had complete control over almost every electronic device on the planet. Reconnaissance satellites, drones, and even the mobile phone in Aron's pocket were all under his command.
"Send all Ultron commanders… Time to give them a little mechanical shock!"
On the deck of the downed space carrier, the real Ultron took over the body of one of the combat robots.
His crimson mechanical eyes stared into the distance, and his metal face bore an expression reminiscent of human mockery.
Boom, boom, boom…
In the next moment, a specially designed robot under his control roared and charged forward.
"Magic-blocking inscription transmitted… High-temperature module activated… Energy barrier engaged… Combat mission — block them!"
Each unit had a commander equipped with a specific tactical system. Shortly thereafter, the first ones collided with Aron.
"How did they suddenly become so strong?" Aron thought, watching the robots that now seemed almost twice as powerful as before. Without hesitation, he opened fire.
A wave of energy tore through the air, followed by a sharp crescent-shaped wave of flame.
In an instant, all the robots charging toward him found themselves amid a fiery inferno.
Rumble! Rumble!
Two Ultrons hit by the shockwave exploded into a pile of metal fragments, but this time the wreckage did not melt away as before.
And not only that, the robot that should have been destroyed by the powerful blast of fire now endured the hellish temperature and continued its charge, its body glowing red-hot but undamaged.
"High-temperature module withstood the target's attack… Analysis successful… Module will be introduced into mass production."
"Self-improvement?" Aron's face grew serious. In terms of performance, whether or not this Ultron would become the nightmare version, he was already over a hundred times stronger than what they'd seen in the movies.
Such targeted evolution was almost unimaginable. If given enough time, no one could predict how far he might go.
"That's the high-temperature-resistant armor I used on the Mark 39 – Gemini!" Tony Stark ran up, recognizing the technology at first glance.
"Is there anything you haven't developed?" Aron destroyed three of Ultron's commanders in a single swing of his sword, then turned to Stark. "Just make sure you never create anything related to magic, or it won't end well for you."
Tony was left speechless.
"Why do these robots have runes that block magic?" Mordo suddenly shouted, noticing the symbols etched into the armor, ones typically used on powerful magical barriers and protective weapons. This gave Ultron's machines resistance to spells.
"Stark! If you don't study this immediately, we're done for!" Aron shouted, setting aside his flaming knife and charging forward with bare hands.
Rumble! Rumble! Rumble!
A series of explosions thundered through the sky, as if firecrackers were going off.
"Luckily, raw power can't be weakened," Aron said, just as a thunderous detonation shook the battlefield.
From a distance, Thor looked on, confused. "Why can't my lightning strike these metal abominations? Stark, are you scheming again?"
"No!" Tony raised his hands in defense. "This time I really had nothing to do with it!"
Meanwhile, Nick Fury kept on swimming.
——
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