However, perfection is elusive. The space inside the sub-arrowheads for explosives was too small. After repeated optimization by S.H.I.E.L.D. researchers, the high-performance explosives they managed to pack in were just enough to blow off an adult man's limbs.
Hawkeye's strike wasn't intended to kill Makiya directly, but he definitely meant to sever his limbs, aiming to instantly neutralize his combat effectiveness.
Makiya clenched his hand into a fist. The power of a Paladin from DNF surged within him, and pure white holy light blossomed in his palm. As he raised his fist, a thick barrier shimmering with divine light instantly rose in front of him.
Holy Shield!
The sub-arrowheads slammed into the Holy Shield, instantly triggering a violent explosion. Soaring flames momentarily blinded everyone, but as the darkness of the smoke cleared, the radiant wall of light still stood before Makiya, quietly emitting a gentle yet powerful energy.
As Makiya stepped forward again, the Holy Shield moved in sync, advancing with a quiet, peaceful, and incomparable momentum.
Step... step... step...
Makiya dragged Crossbones as he stepped into the Triskelion building. A group of agents finally lost their patience and pulled their triggers, sending a hail of bullets whistling toward him, only to be stopped by the Holy Shield.
Purple cross patterns flickered across the deep blue light screen. Whether it was bullets, grenades, or various tactical gadgets, everything met its end before this wall of light.
The lobby's defense systems were activated. As the headquarters for agents who stirred up trouble worldwide, the Triskelion had naturally been built to withstand invasions. The various weapons installed were the cutting edge of modern military technology, yet they were utterly defeated by what looked like a fragile, translucent wall of light.
In the Director's office, Nick Fury watched the monitor in silence. Holy light... a word that appeared in countless churches and prayer books was now actually appearing before him. And yet, it was being used against him by an enemy. How ridiculous.
S.H.I.E.L.D. championed freedom of belief; he worried some of his agents were already starting to waver.
A series of hurried footsteps alerted Fury. At the very start of the combat in the plaza, the logistics personnel and researchers had already retreated to emergency shelters. At this time, the corridors should have been empty; combat personnel should be concentrating in the lobby on the first floor.
Fury checked the monitor for his office and found the corridor outside empty.
The situation was grim. His security system—the security of the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D.—had been hacked!
Fury drew his pistol and crouched by the door, listening carefully. From the sound, there were about eight to ten people. Their pace was heavy and rhythmic—the sound of thick combat boots hitting the floor. Their strict training made them maintain a steady stride subconsciously. All signs pointed to them being S.H.I.E.L.D. combat personnel.
He had sent someone to fetch Pierce, but instead, he got unidentified combatants. Something was wrong!
Nick Fury immediately thought of the investigation he had been conducting. He had discovered another hidden faction within S.H.I.E.L.D., hiding so deep that even his elite agents hadn't noticed any abnormalities!
"Night Watch team," Fury said, pressing the communication button on his chest.
A lazy, androgynous voice came from the other side: "Director, are you finally planning to let us out?"
"No," Fury said immediately. "Retreat now. Get out of the Triskelion, leave Washington D.C., and standby at Base 3 in New Mexico. Do not contact anyone but me. I repeat, anyone."
"Alright, Director."
Knock, knock, knock!
A knock sounded at the door. Fury took a deep breath, clutching his pistol as he slowly approached the entrance.
Back in the lobby.
Hawkeye fired a full-power explosive arrow. It detonated the moment it hit the Holy Shield, sending a larger flash of light outward along with a powerful shockwave. However, blocked by the Holy Shield, the blast was forced to dissipate to the sides. Makiya remained unaffected; not even the hem of his clothes fluttered.
Makiya clenched his hand. The Holy Shield flickered twice before detonating. Pure holy light was not only quiet and gentle; when facing enemies, it transformed into the fiercest element to deliver divine judgment.
Boom!
A brilliant light erupted from in front of Makiya. Wherever the light touched, the air was violently compressed, forming visible white shockwaves that surged like a raging tide, swallowing everything in their path.
The agents closest to him were the first to suffer. Their bodies were instantly enveloped in intense light, their skin drying and carbonizing under the holy heat. It was as if they had been thrown into a blazing furnace; they twisted in agony but could not utter a sound, as their throats had already been scorched shut by the terrifying energy.
The enemies further away fared little better. The powerful impact hit them like a mountain, tossing them aside like ragdolls.
The agents' bodies tumbled helplessly through the air, their bones snapping under the immense pressure. Some were even broken in half. Blood erupted from their wounds like fountains, splashing onto the shattered tiles and leaving behind a pungent, metallic stench.
Hawkeye was just a human soldier. His vision might have been far sharper than a normal person's, but his physical constitution was no different from any other elite soldier. Amidst the massive holy shockwave, he was no different from the rest, thrown backward into the crowd before slamming heavily against a lobby pillar and collapsing to the floor.
Never one to leave a debt unpaid, Makiya casually summoned four flying swords. They accurately struck Hawkeye's joints. The sharp tips instantly pierced through his high-tech combat uniform; the special material was useless against the razor-sharp blades, bursting into sparks upon impact.
Hawkeye let out a scream, able to do nothing but lie on the ground and wail in pain.
The agents besieging Makiya weren't limited to those in the immediate area, but the explosion of the Holy Shield covered a massive range. Those lucky enough not to be directly hit by the light or shockwave were now deafened, bleeding from their eyes, ears, nose, and mouth.
Before Iron Man appeared, supernatural events on Earth were rare. Many agents had only seen recordings of superpowered individuals in the database. Now that they were actually holding guns against one, many were paralyzed with terror, their legs trembling.
Most of S.H.I.E.L.D. was Hydra—that wasn't a joke. However, while Hydra used extreme ideology to unite people, only a minority were true believers. Most were opportunists and careerists. Ideology was too vague; it wasn't as real as a promotion and a raise.
Hydra had long relied on their authority and high-tech equipment to crush their enemies. Now, suddenly faced with an invincible foe, only a small portion of the fanatical Hydra members dared to step forward. Most others cowered behind cover, praying they wouldn't be noticed.
"Damn it, everyone charge!" a Hydra squad leader shouted from the crowd. A second later, a golden flying sword shot from his blind spot, piercing through his head.
Under the intense stimulation of life or death, many Hydra members found the courage to open fire. They used light and heavy weapons from the armory to establish multiple fire points. To bolster their courage, they shouted at the top of their lungs: "Hail Hydra!"
"Hail Hydra!"
"HAIL HYDRA!"
For a moment, the slogans echoed throughout the Triskelion. A group of Hydra members acted as if they had been injected with adrenaline, controlling their weapons to launch an assault on Makiya, only to die on the charging path or behind their cover.
The small number of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents who didn't know the truth and hadn't been corrupted were completely bewildered. What was happening? What was everyone shouting? Was this even still S.H.I.E.L.D.?
These highly trained agents and combat personnel might have been able to use their firearms to gain an advantage over ordinary people or average superhumans, but they were nothing before Makiya. Protected by over a dozen layers of the massive, transparent Holy Guard, Makiya controlled his flying swords like a reaper's scythe, rapidly harvesting the lives of his enemies.
The design of the Triskelion balanced utility with aesthetics. The massive floor-to-ceiling windows allowed the battle inside to be seen clearly from the outside. In a helicopter above, a female reporter was screaming, her face pale with terror as she watched Makiya slaughter the agents.
"Oh my God, our soldiers are being massacred! This isn't a battle. Lord, someone please stop him!"
The reporter's words reached thousands of households through the cameras. Viewers in front of their televisions clenched their fists, praying for a superhero to stand up and stop this demon.
In the Vatican, the old Pope yanked a young boy off him and tossed him aside. His gaze was fixed on Makiya on the screen—more specifically, on the holy light surrounding him. His expression turned incredibly sour, sensing his own status was in jeopardy.
The television station's headquarters was a hive of activity. Seeing Makiya's unstoppable path of destruction, the person in charge quickly ordered a headline change: 'Evil Asian Criminal Massacres Government Personnel in Washington.'
Meanwhile, the Director's office was a mess. Alexander Pierce, a high-ranking official hidden within S.H.I.E.L.D., entered the office flanked by a group of Hydra agents. He looked around and frowned when he didn't see Fury's corpse.
When he saw Makiya's massacre on the monitor, his expression darkened even further.
In the entire Triskelion, even including the uncorrupted S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, there were fewer than five thousand combat-ready personnel. At Makiya's current killing rate, they would be wiped out in no time.
"Commit all Quinjets to the battle, and launch the three Helicarriers immediately!" Pierce made a decisive call, betting all the assets he had cultivated over the years. He had to kill Makiya right here.
He believed that in the face of humanity's ultimate technology, individual power was negligible.
It didn't matter if Nick Fury had run; he wouldn't be able to find the man for a while anyway. He knew Fury too well; as long as the man was determined to hide, no one could find him.
The priority now was to deal with this damn Chairman of Future Technology!
The Helicarriers would take time to launch. Watching the Hydra members fall one by one, Pierce gritted his teeth and dialed a number. Once connected, he gave the order: "The target's power exceeds expectations. Start the plan and prepare Plan C."
"...Pierce, after this is over, you have to help me with my connections, otherwise General Ross won't let me off," a voice said after a two-second silence.
"Don't worry, Hydra's power and influence are greater than you think." A smile tugged at the corner of Pierce's mouth. "After this is over, I'll submit your promotion report immediately!"
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