Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 1619 Kamar-Taj: The Offensive

The shells, moving at speeds imperceptible to the naked eye, hurtled towards the peaceful and serene courtyard complex. The violent explosions expanded in mid-air, shattering the millennia-old tranquility of this land. Countless shrapnel fragments were instantly melted, vaporized, and vanished by the faintly visible golden symbols in the air. The first probing shelling failed to even destroy the delicate greenery and flowers that perpetually bloomed in the courtyard. Subsequent shelling also failed to penetrate the protective spells of Kamar-Taj headquarters, nor to destroy the towering walls surrounding the courtyard.

The warm air between the high-altitude mountains was thick with the smells of gunpowder and hot metal. Amon frowned as he gazed at the towering courtyard enveloped in psionic energy in the distance. Through his visor, he could smell the dry, out-of-season winds that seemed to freeze his blood, and the ozone emanating from the ionized air of the psionic shield in the distance. Thick smoke from explosives and plasma warheads briefly enveloped the Kamar-Taj headquarters before dissipating. Kamar-Taj was prepared for the Emperor's arrival. More precisely, it was a being that resisted the Emperor's entry into Kamar-Taj that maintained the psionic magic of the mountain range, along with the incantation to maintain its temperature.

"Our artillery only has one basic load of ammunition, my lord," Amon whispered a reminder. "Given the current situation, I don't think five basic loads of shells can break through this shield."

"There is a Pallas's cat population here that has thrived for generations. After years of domestication, they have shed their wild nature and become domesticated pets in Kamar-Taj. I hope that after this operation, you can arrange for a number of Pallas's cat conservation experts to be stationed here to properly care for those adorable little creatures."

"My lord?"

"A sense of humor, Amon. I believe I poured a lot of humor out of the spice jar when I was reforming you," the Emperor said with a smile. "I hope you have informed all the troops in advance that this operation should minimize casualties and, unless attacked, should only involve control and hostage-taking."

"Both the First Secret Service and the Sorority have undergone anti-psychic and anti-wizard training. We control the sorcerer's fingers and tongue using safe anesthesia, ensuring the innocent Kamar-Taj sorcerer remains unharmed." Amon nodded. "Furthermore, I found no borderline genetic information regarding a sense of humor in my personal modification file, and the use of spice jars in the genetic alchemy process is not standard procedure."

The Imperial Guards noticed the veins under the emperor's skin at his temples throbbing.

"Artillery positions, continue bombardment. Ten rounds per minute, until all ammunition is used up." Amon turned and, through the command chain, issued orders to the artillery positions behind him and the transport planes approaching. "Transport planes 10, 11, and 12, be ready to take off at any time. Squads 34, 35, and 41 of the First Secret Regiment, prepare for the final airborne operation. Sisters of the Sisters Abbey, begin capturing nodes A-3, A-4, and A-6, and send a portion of the armored convoy to the vicinity of the Kamar-Taj headquarters walls to capture the C-2 assembly point and suppress the Kamar-Taj walls with fire."

Within ten minutes, a barrage of cannonballs pierced the air and crashed into the massive protective shield formed by the accumulation, combination, and operation of tens of thousands of spells. Amon was skeptical about the impact such a large number of cannons could have on the psionic shield. Based on the case of the Battle of Attilan, the psionic shield of Kamar-Taj was likely far stronger than that of Attilan Fortress, and it was said that the shield had undergone improvements by the Emperor, refining the tens of thousands of spells into a more efficient model. Without using satellite lances for bombardment, Amon did not believe that a small number of cannons could break through the shield.

Immediately, the Royal Guard saw the Emperor extend his hand, the intense, bright white flames nearly burning the retinas of the nearby officers watching. These flames rose into the air and then extinguished, revealing a magnificent, jewel-encrusted key that fell into his hand with a crisp clinking sound against the armored plate of his palm. The Emperor inserted the key into a keyhole that had appeared on the gray boulder standing before him. Centered on this keyhole, exquisite reliefs depicting angels and alchemy gradually emerged, the keyhole itself located on the Holy Grail that the angels were offering to the alchemist.

The emperor turned the key without hesitation.

The waveform on the psionic indicator immediately changed, and Wanda Maximoff gasped. Kamar-Taj's impenetrable, magnificent psionic shield, as enduring as the mountain range itself, instantly shifted; both its strength and structure began to visibly weaken. Amon knew what the Emperor had done, but he was still relieved that the Emperor had managed to establish Kamar-Taj so early. Several minutes passed before Wanda Maximoff understood the reason. However, she dared not ask the Emperor if he harbored any lingering affection or similar feelings for Kamar-Taj, because, like the previous dream, this question would never have a correct answer.

The precision artillery fire ceased, and soldiers of the First Secret Regiment made a low-altitude advance, leaping from the transport planes.

Their anti-gravity parachutes spewed blue flames, and intelligent programs calculated the soldiers' postures, controlling thrust to allow them to glide towards Kamar-Taj. The Sisterhood, having reached their firing positions, were unleashing a barrage of fire on the walls and gates of Kamar-Taj using assault tanks and armored personnel carriers. Main cannons fired bursts of bright white, scorching plasma at the enchanted wooden gates, while vehicle-mounted heavy-explosive cannons hurled hundreds of heavy shells at the precious, thousand-year-old gate. Within minutes, the gate was completely destroyed, leaving only smoldering, heavy planks on the ground.

The tracks rolled over the stone slabs as they stormed into the Kamar-Taj forecourt with their battle sisters.

The First Class Regiment had landed in the courtyard, attacking all the Kamar-Taj sorcerers who attempted to resist with their laser rifles and non-lethal weapons. Combat orders had been assigned to each soldier, who shouted orders for the sorcerers to refrain from chanting spells and gesturing, declaring they were there to help, while keeping their fingers on the triggers of their laser rifles and the power buttons of their non-lethal weapons—the vibrating scepters—ready to react at any moment.

An overly nervous apprentice chanted an incantation, unleashing ethereal energy and flames from his fingertips (one of the Emperor's improved psychic spells). Immediately, the nearest soldier from the First Secret Regiment fired at the apprentice. The laser instantly burned through the apprentice's thigh muscles and bones, and blood immediately seeped from the charred hole. The soldier who fired the shot rushed forward and, instead of using a non-lethal stun gun, smashed his fist into the apprentice's head.

She then sidestepped and bent her knee, slamming the arcane apprentice to the ground with surprising skill. Immediately, the soldiers of the First Secret Regiment pointed their guns at the remaining arcane mages, shouting orders for them not to make any rash moves. Only after the sisters in power armor parked their armored vehicle in the front yard and took control of the situation did the relatively younger arcane mages lower their guard, somewhat hesitantly. This was especially true when the arcane apprentices saw the royal guards in their golden armor.

"Lift alert, move to the next target." The squad leader released the communicator and said sternly to the soldier who had just thrown a punch, "Caveira, this is not the time for interrogation. Use non-lethal weapons instead of fists. Don't think I didn't see the brass knuckles on your glove."

"That's why I didn't pull out a dagger."

A girl from the favela of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, who later served in the BOPE Special Police Operations Battalion in Rio de Janeiro State, rolled her eyes behind her mask, a gesture no one could see. Her background meant she didn't pay much attention to detail when achieving tactical objectives; her methods were simple, brutal, and highly effective. She also didn't prioritize casualty rates; efficiency was paramount. This military experience, coincidentally occurring after her recruitment, allowed her to leverage her consistent combat style and the courage gained from years of raiding favelas to eliminate drug traffickers during the anti-terrorism operations across Yugoslavia. She killed numerous religious and populist leaders hiding in the cities for the Emperor and Regent.

"You should thank me, Captain, otherwise that brat would have burned himself to a crisp." She glanced at the Royal Guard Amphitrite a few meters away, and the gunships circling overhead. "The Emperor will definitely come here, and he certainly won't let those golden treasures run around."

"If you've read the last few lines of the mission briefing, you'll know this isn't a secret."

Using battlefield drones, the command team detected numerous robed arcane mages emerging from the gates of Kamar-Taj. Guided (and coerced) by the battle sisters, these mages were forced to move to a prisoner-of-war area not far from the firing positions, where the Emperor's golden eagle banner flew. Two battle sisters remained there to guard them. Armored personnel carriers aimed their machine guns at the young men, ordering them to obey the battle sisters' instructions and don psychic-suppressing handcuffs and masks. This sign lowered the mages' guard, and a barrage of questions followed. However, these arcane apprentices, confined to the front courtyard for training, had no access to top-secret information, and the battle sisters could not answer any of their questions.

Teams 34, 35, and 41 of the First Top Secret Regiment continued their advance inward.

Kamar-Taj's map had been familiarized with several times, and the internal structures of the rooms had been rehearsed by setting up similar scenarios, all to help the three teams quickly take control of the courtyard. The Battle Sisters remaining in the courtyard became the vanguard; their responsibility wasn't controlling the rooms, but rather quickly breaking through obstacles. Armored personnel carriers rolled over stone slabs and steps, destroying several key points of the courtyard's protective magic—some were just inconspicuous gargoyles, some were pillars that didn't provide support, and some were even just a pot of flowers. This process wasn't without resistance from the sorcerers, as not all sorcerers acknowledged the Emperor's authority, especially before the Sorcerer Supreme had officially retired. Tatiana, as one of the Battle Sisters, was primarily responsible for suppressing those Kamar-Taj sorcerers who attempted to rebel and posed a greater danger.

All Kamar-Taj sorcerers' information has been entered into the system and they have been rated.

The electronic eye captured the image and immediately identified the sorcerer and her danger level. Tatiana pulled the trigger without hesitation, firing a shot at the low-level instructor responsible for training sorcerer apprentices. Her chainsaw sword then pierced the sorcerer's shield from below. She kicked the sorcerer in the knee, bone fragments piercing the skin and exposing the scream of agony, which couldn't be drowned out by the distant gunshot. Tatiana had no choice but to throw a punch, silencing the sorcerer and relieving the low-level instructor of his pain.

As she did this, a burst of flames swept in from the side.

Another combat sister instinctively fired a shot towards the source of the flames, the white-hot plasma swirling and disappearing into the crimson inferno. Tatiana lowered her arm from her face, checked the outside temperature on the display screen to make sure it was comfortable, then opened the helmet's ventilation grille, inhaling the smell of roasting meat in the sweltering air. The power armor's heat insulation was excellent; after all, these armors were designed to withstand attacks from both ballistic and energy weapons. Even the anti-aircraft laser weapons used by other human nations couldn't burn through these armor plates, let alone the [flame-breathing] technique used by a low-level instructor.

"Summon the medic." Tatiana gritted her teeth, looking at the low-level arcane mage whose chest, abdomen, and face were burned by the overflowing plasma. "Don't let this poor bastard die."

(End of this chapter)