Whoosh!
Sebastian emerged from the twisting, swirling space, finding himself suspended in mid-air above a sea of rolling clouds. The fierce winds that should have battered him at this altitude died down the moment they approached his body.
Sebastian turned and surveyed his surroundings. He had reached the skies above New Zealand. Just as he began searching for the New World Sky Fortress, a sudden explosion echoed from the northeast. His contact lenses immediately guided his attention toward the source.
With a focused thought, Sebastian transformed into a wisp of black smoke and streaked toward the disturbance. The dark smoke descended through the cloud cover, and soon he spotted the New World Sky Fortress, shrouded in thick fog that clearly served as camouflage.
The fortress had already become a war zone. Inhumans had landed and were locked in fierce combat with S.H.I.E.L.D. agents and several Avengers. The battle had obviously started before Sebastian contacted Tony.
A golden-red figure suddenly burst through the clouds and dove straight toward the fortress's outer deck. Tony had arrived shortly after Sebastian.
"Sebastian, I'm going in first!" Tony called out.
Sebastian grinned. "Alright then, let's see who can take down the most enemies!"
He shifted back into black smoke and descended to the deck below. Sebastian materialized from the swirling darkness, his wand moving in rapid succession. With a sharp flick of his wrist, red lightning erupted outward like a deadly storm. Over a dozen Inhumans collapsed unconscious before him.
Sebastian had no intention of massacring the Inhumans. Not out of mercy, but because he didn't want to make an enemy of Black Bolt. Though Sebastian's memories of Black Bolt were hazy, he knew the man was incredibly powerful and ruled the entire Inhuman race. Cooperation seemed far more beneficial than hostility.
Sebastian swept his wand in a wide arc, and a crimson aura expanded from his body. Most of the Inhumans caught within its range crumpled unconscious to the deck.
Seeing Sebastian's devastating efficiency, the remaining Inhumans recognized both his skill and his identity. The strongest among them began converging on his position.
"Human, I've heard you're supposed to be powerful," one of them called out.
"Power isn't just a reputation—it's something you prove," Sebastian replied coolly.
The Inhuman nodded grimly. "My name is Gorgon[1], member of the Attilan royal family. I'll be your opponent!"
Bang!
Gorgon's legs erupted with force, launching him forward in an instant. He spun mid-charge and delivered a devastating kick aimed directly at Sebastian.
The sheer power behind Gorgon's attack made even Sebastian tense with caution.
Sebastian raised his wand, conjuring an invisible barrier that absorbed the full impact of Gorgon's strike.
Feeling the barrier tremble under the assault, Sebastian's eyes narrowed. His opponent had nearly shattered his magical defense—this was no ordinary enemy.
Gorgon looked even more stunned than Sebastian. He had never expected his opening attack to be blocked so effortlessly by anyone on Earth.
Gritting his teeth, Gorgon pulled back his leg and slammed it down onto the deck.
The moment Gorgon's foot struck the surface, the reinforced alloy buckled and cracked, sending invisible shockwaves rippling outward in all directions.
Boom!
The tremors spread rapidly toward Sebastian, causing his body to dissolve into black smoke just as the waves reached him, vanishing from Gorgon's sight entirely.
Seeing Sebastian's apparent destruction, Gorgon's face went pale with shock. Before the attack began, Black Bolt had explicitly warned them against killing anyone here.
Jia Ying, the Inhuman leader from the Afterlife, believed she had successfully manipulated them into fighting her battles. In reality, Black Bolt had seen through her schemes long ago. The only reason they hadn't abandoned her was because she provided valuable access to Earth's authorities and crucial intelligence about the current situation. Black Bolt and his people had their own agenda for this mission.
Their real plan was to evaluate the strength of S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Avengers before deciding whether to propose an alliance against the incoming Kree fleet. While Earth's technology had advanced beyond their own expectations, they doubted it would be sufficient to repel the Kree invasion alone.
The assessment of Earth's defenders would determine their next move. If the humans proved weaker than expected, Black Bolt might choose to either conquer Earth before the Kree arrived, or unite all of Earth's Inhumans for a coordinated assault on Attilan. Either way, Black Bolt had no interest in allying with beings inferior to his own people.
Before their arrival, Black Bolt's team had gathered extensive intelligence on S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Avengers through Jia Ying's network. They knew about a dark wizard among the Avengers—a powerful sorcerer who represented a significant threat.
Gorgon had calculated that his seismic attack wouldn't be lethal, but apparently he had miscalculated. Having potentially eliminated a key Avenger, he worried he had completely derailed Black Bolt's carefully laid plans.
As Gorgon stood frozen with uncertainty, black smoke began swirling behind him. Sebastian materialized silently from the darkness and flicked his wand toward the Inhuman royal. Gorgon collapsed unconscious before he could even turn around.
Looking at the remaining Inhumans still locked in combat, Sebastian suddenly launched himself into the air.
Hovering above the battlefield, Sebastian began silently weaving an intricate spell. Bands of light composed of black and crimson magical runes spiraled and pulsed around his right wrist and forearm. Simultaneously, he established a connection to the school's hidden underground chamber, drawing upon the Reality Stone's power through this link to fuel his transformation magic.
He aimed his wand downward, then swept it upward in a deliberate arc.
A deep crimson aura descended over the scene, and the deck of the New World Sky Fortress began to shift and change. Countless chains and restraints erupted from the reinforced alloy flooring, snaking outward to bind the Inhumans where they stood. For the few who proved too strong or agile for the metallic bonds, Sebastian followed up with targeted spells that rendered them unconscious.
In a single, decisive move, Sebastian had neutralized every Inhuman on the deck and brought the chaotic battle to an abrupt end.
[1] Gorgon Petragon is a powerful warrior from the Inhuman Royal Family and the former head of the Royal Guard on Attilan. He possesses muscular legs and beast-like hooves, allowing him to generate seismic waves with his kicks, giving him immense strength and unique combat abilities