The strength of the protective barrier came from the combined efforts of the sorcerers below. So, if that teamwork could be disrupted and a gap created, they could break through the turtle shell with ease.
After circling the area, Wanda quickly locked onto one of the sorcerers. Even though Wong loudly warned the others to steady their minds and resist the Scarlet Witch's temptations, her powers weren't that easy to fend off.
Iron Man had once fallen victim to her tricks, and now this young sorcerer was no exception. A soft whisper echoed in his ears: "Run."
Fear and panic surged from deep within, overwhelming his senses. He turned and bolted, shoving a few fellow sorcerers aside. A hole instantly tore open in the golden barrier!
Wanda didn't waste the opportunity. She raised a hand and launched a surge of crimson energy. It landed like a bomb in the center of the plaza, blasting the defending sorcerers away and shattering the protective shield completely.
But the Sanctum of Kamar-Taj wasn't so easily defeated. After the barrier collapsed, Wong quickly took command again. Just as Wanda flew in for the kill, an old, hidden cannon suddenly emerged and fired!
It looked like a relic from centuries past, and instead of ordinary shells, it fired magic-infused cannonballs. The blast packed quite the punch. Caught off guard, Wanda was hit directly and sent flying.
Outside the screen, Pietro instinctively reached toward the projection, itching to dash into the video and save his sister.
Stephen watched with calm detachment. "What are you so nervous about? Didn't we already see the answer? Your beloved sister is going to break through Kamar-Taj. I imagine, from today on, she'll become one of the most unwelcome guests there."
He said it with a chuckle, though. After all, before this whole quiz game started, he had even invited Wanda to Kamar-Taj to study magic.
Pietro scoffed. "Save it. Even if you begged us, we wouldn't set foot in that dump."
Meanwhile, Peter was completely engrossed in the battle. He was still a kid, after all, and seeing the sorcerers draw magical bows and fire glowing arrows had him in awe. "That's so cool! Mr. Strange, you guys can enchant weapons, right? Why not enchant guns, missiles, or planes? That'd be even cooler!"
Stephen let his imagination run for a second: sorcerers in enchanted bulletproof vests and steel helmets, digging trenches, mounting guns, firing magical artillery while chanting spells... The whole scene was ridiculous—totally out of place.
He shook the image from his head and smiled. "If you're that interested, maybe you can try it someday."
Peter really was intrigued, though he pouted. "But I don't have the talent, right? Ned does, though. Maybe I could team up with him?"
Stephen didn't have time for small talk anymore. His gaze turned serious as he focused on the screen. While they'd been chatting, the Scarlet Witch had already ravaged Kamar-Taj in a matter of moments.
Her ability to warp reality was simply overwhelming. With a flick of her wrist, she could destroy fortified buildings and even magical cannons. She became a one-woman bombing force, hovering over the sorcerers and raining down wave after wave of crimson blasts. Screams filled the air as bodies flew.
Right now, Wanda radiated pure villainous energy. Against her, the sorcerers of Kamar-Taj were no better than helpless civilians.
Stephen and Wong quickly gave up trying to defend the perimeter and focused on evacuating the crowd.
And so, this ancient sanctuary that had stood for centuries atop the mountain was reduced to ruins by Wanda's hand. She slowly floated downward, her face cold and expressionless, like a true demoness, hunting her prey deeper within.
Along the way, injured sorcerers lay writhing on the ground.
But as the wave of red magic swept through, their pain vanished. Their bodies dissolved, completely and cleanly—nothing left behind.
Viewers outside the screen gasped in horror. To them, Wanda had always been a hero—a respected Avenger who had lost everything: her family, her children. A woman to be pitied and admired.
But now, before their eyes, she had become something else entirely—a powerful, ruthless, and merciless villainess.
The contrast was too stark, even Pietro struggled to process it. It had to be the Darkhold. That cursed book twisted people's hearts. Without even realizing it, the gentle woman Wanda once was had turned into this.
But her fall wasn't just because of the Darkhold—her pain and suffering were just as much to blame.
Superheroes restrained themselves not because society was strong, but because they chose to hold back. And that restraint gave the world the illusion that heroes could be used, harmed, or turned into tools for profit.
Now, those people were seeing what happened when that illusion shattered—what it meant to push a former hero to the edge.
In the Eternal space, Stephen stared at the devastation of Kamar-Taj on the screen, his heart heavy with grief. He had come to see the Sanctum as a second home. Many of the fallen sorcerers were his friends, people he knew well. Now they lay lifeless in the rubble, most of them unrecognizable.
He sighed deeply. "This... this is a terrible future for Kamar-Taj."
Peter glanced at the silent Pietro beside him and whispered, "Mr. Strange, it's your turn now, right? I think only you can stop her."
Stephen frowned. If his future self still had the Time Stone, maybe it could've been done. But now? That was another matter entirely.
Wanda had always been powerful. Even before she awakened as the Scarlet Witch, she could go toe-to-toe with Thanos. After inheriting the Darkhold's dark sorcery, she had become strong enough to singlehandedly wipe out Kamar-Taj.
As much as he hated to admit it, Stephen's rational mind told him the truth—his future self probably wouldn't be able to stop her.
Back in the video, Wanda walked slowly through the ruins. She hadn't seen Stephen and the others yet, but she didn't need to. Closing her eyes, she reached out with her magic—and instantly sensed exactly where they were hiding.
_____
T/N:
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