Thor felt completely stifled. Odin's condition wasn't something you didn't know about—he was still in the Odinsleep. Unless it was a life-and-death emergency, he simply wouldn't wake up, let alone go fight the Sorcerer Supreme.
So this bastard Harry was basically trying to have the Sorcerer Supreme bully a frail old man!
That was beyond shameless!
And yet, under the pressure—after reporting it up the chain—Nick Fury still grit his teeth and, in the end, nodded.
Because when the United States was facing two behemoths like Kamar-Taj and Asgard, it had to soften up and bow its head—let alone him, a mere S.H.I.E.L.D. Director.
Honestly, Harry hadn't even been thinking about the Tesseract at first. But after this whole string of headaches, he realized letting S.H.I.E.L.D. hold onto it was just too unsafe.
If the Tesseract stayed with S.H.I.E.L.D., who knew what day it would get snatched by some other supervillain. Better to put it in Kamar-Taj.
With him and the Sorcerer Supreme there, Kamar-Taj would be the safest place on Earth!
Even after agreeing to Harry's proposal, Fury still sighed for the sake of team cohesion, then pointed straight at Thor.
"The only reason I researched the Tesseract… was because of him!"
Thor, who'd been happily munching popcorn on the sidelines, got singled out out of nowhere and instantly froze, pointing at himself in confusion.
"Me? What the hell did I do?"
Fury's face was grim. He nodded hard and continued.
"That's right. You. Last year, Earth received a visitor from outer space. Because of your personal grudges, a small town nearly got wiped off the map.
From that incident we learned something—compared to Earth, the combat power of alien civilizations is overwhelmingly superior.
And from Kamar-Taj, we also learned that the universe doesn't just have countless alien civilizations… it also has innumerable evil dimensional demon-gods watching Earth.
They're stronger than us. Their technology is more advanced. Their civilizations are more developed.
So we had no choice but to start studying the Tesseract—trying to extract power strong enough to resist whatever threats might come in the future."
Thor, still catching stray bullets, protested innocently, "But Asgard has no hostility toward you."
Fury shot back without mercy, "In the cosmos, you're not the only threat. There are far too many unknown powers ready to turn Earth into food on their plate!"
The meeting room fell dead silent at once. The air felt oppressive enough to choke on. Even Tony looked pensive, unconsciously clenching his fist.
Harry sighed and broke the silence.
"You're not seriously forgetting Kamar-Taj, are you? Don't forget—we're also a force protecting Earth."
Fury's gaze burned as he stared straight at Harry, an unprecedented firmness in his eyes.
"But we can't rely on you forever. We have to do something ourselves."
Harry shrugged, spread his hands, and didn't argue further.
He understood. Fury's methods around the Tesseract were definitely improper—so improper that it even drew the Chitauri in and pushed Earth into a crisis.
But at the same time, Fury's original intention was to give Earth a fighting chance against extraterrestrial threats. The starting point was good.
At worst, he was just a little weak, a little ignorant, a little sensitive… anyway—standing from Earth's perspective, he was a good guy.
While he was thinking, Harry suddenly sensed a subtle fluctuation of magic.
It came from every direction, and even he couldn't pinpoint the source.
He frowned, about to focus and trace it—
—when he abruptly realized the entire atmosphere had turned strange.
Thor, who'd been calm and snacking moments ago, suddenly grew irritable. He glared at Fury and barked,
"What an idiotic decision! Your development of the Tesseract didn't just attract the Chitauri—this also signals to other civilizations that Earth is preparing for high-level warfare!"
Fury, unbelievably, also lost his usual cold composure and snapped right back.
"High-level warfare? You forced our hand! We need countermeasures—like nuclear deterrence!"
Thor's face turned frosty, disappointment flashing in his eyes.
"I thought Earthlings would be more enlightened…"
Before he could finish, Fury fired back again.
"We didn't come to your planet and cause trouble!"
Thor stepped forward, demanding, "Do you have so little faith in your own allies?"
At that moment, even Natasha—who'd been quietly observing—couldn't help joining the heated argument.
"You're too naive. S.H.I.E.L.D. has to monitor potential threats."
That single sentence instantly set Banner off.
"Before I joined Kamar-Taj, S.H.I.E.L.D. agents were already surveilling me in secret. So in your eyes, are people like us—superhumans with special abilities—just 'potential threats'?
Look at this. What a load of crap this Avengers plan is. Staying together only makes everything worse. What kind of 'team' is this supposed to be?"
Nick Fury finally noticed something was off. He forced down the agitation in his chest and said in a low voice,
"Wait. We need to calm down."
And at the same time, Harry had already figured out what was happening.
That familiar ripple—those were traces of mind magic. And the culprit was most likely Mephisto, the dimensional demon-god from Hell.
As the strongest devil, he'd always been a master at playing with minds.
But Harry didn't plan to stop it immediately. On the contrary—he felt this was a rare opportunity, perfect for teaching everyone a lesson and raising their awareness of mind magic.
So he smiled and said, "Why calm down? Letting off some steam before a battle isn't a bad thing."
The moment Harry said that, Steve couldn't hold back and snapped,
"Do you just want the world to burn? This mess is partly your fault too. If you hadn't provoked Mephisto, so many dimensional demon-gods wouldn't be getting involved!
Look at you—just some kid. Who do you think you are? Without magic, what are you even worth?"
The instant those words left his mouth, the entire room went silent.
When it came to Harry, nobody dared to be careless. He was on the side of justice, sure—but his power was too terrifying.
If he got angry, the consequences didn't bear thinking about.
Tony, who understood Harry better than anyone, looked at Steve with blatant amusement.
He knew some soldier was about to have a very bad day.
Harry sensed the hidden mind magic surge violently, growing stronger, no longer bothering to conceal itself—fanning the flames of anger inside the Avengers without restraint.
The heat was just about right. If it kept going, they really might spiral into full-on loss of control.
Under everyone's gaze, Harry spread his hands, smiling, and replied unhurriedly,
"Hmm. Genius, billionaire, philanthropist, savior of another world… half a dimensional demon-god?"
As he spoke, he walked up to Steve, smiled at him, then asked with genuine puzzlement,
"Also—why would I 'set aside' magic? It's a part of me from birth. Like how ordinary people have life and can breathe freely… or how dimensional demon-gods roam the multiverse on sheer power…"
Before his sentence even finished, Harry suddenly raised his right hand, clenched his fist, and—with no warning—drove it into Steve's abdomen with full force.
Boom!
The shockwave howled—then dispersed.
Steve rocketed backward, slammed into the hard metal wall behind him, and got embedded in it, completely unable to move.
After seeing that punch, everyone—including Steve—instantly had crystal-clear eyes again.
Harry pulled Steve out of the wall, then used a prototype human Repair Charm. Threads of faint light wrapped around Steve's body, and the fractures, swelling, and bruises healed at a visible speed.
After dealing with Steve's injuries, Harry smiled and replied,
"See? Even without magic, I'm still ridiculously strong. I really can punch you to death with one hit."
Everyone: …
Bro. Why don't you follow the script?
Having punched Steve and gotten a read on his current physique, Harry nodded to himself.
Those Thor runes really were something. In such a short time, Steve's physical attributes had improved rapidly. The effect was so dramatic that it was even stronger than the lightning enhancement magic Harry had developed himself.
Harry figured later he could build around the Thor runes, combine them with other magic systems, and try to develop even more powerful body-enhancement spells.
Maybe he could even pull inspiration from other worlds.
But what pleased him most wasn't the rune effect—it was that when the Repair Charm acted on Steve's body, Steve didn't feel any discomfort. No bizarre flesh growths appeared. The broken bones healed perfectly, without deformation.
So his research direction was correct!
Give him a little more time and he'd fully complete the human Repair Charm.
Harry scanned the room. Seeing everyone had shaken off the influence of mind magic, he finally explained,
"Alright. Looks like everyone's calmed down. You probably noticed the weirdness just now—yes, we were all being manipulated by mind magic."
Steve held his chest, giving Harry an aggrieved look. This guy hit way too hard.
But Steve was always broad-minded. He quickly set it aside, frowned, and asked seriously,
"Mind magic? Does that mean there's another enemy nearby?"
The other Avengers immediately tensed up, eyes sweeping the surroundings warily.
What kind of enemy could cast mind magic on them so silently, without any of them noticing, and influence their minds like this?
If Harry hadn't thrown that sudden punch and snapped them awake, they'd probably still be under the effect right now.
Harry snapped his fingers and headed forward.
"Follow me."
They exchanged confused looks but followed. Before long, they realized they were heading toward Loki's holding area.
Fury quickened his pace to walk beside Harry.
"Harry. Was the mind magic cast by Loki?"
Harry shook his head, expression calm.
"Loki's not that accomplished with magic. If my sensitivity to magic weren't abnormal, even I might've missed it.
If I'm not mistaken, the mastermind is an extremely troublesome bastard.
Come on—let me broaden your horizons. Let's meet the strongest dimensional demon-god in Hell right now… the proxy Satan: Mephisto."
Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap—
Crisp applause sounded ahead.
When they entered the room where Loki was being held, an extremely handsome middle-aged man was already there.
The moment they saw him, everyone except Harry felt an inexplicable pressure crush down on them.
Strangely, it wasn't physical—it went straight for the soul.
The Avengers' faces turned grave. By reflex they drew weapons, locking into combat stances, ready to strike at any moment.
If nothing else, the man in front of them was obviously an enemy—very likely Mephisto, just as Harry said.
As for why Mephisto appeared in the form of a handsome human, that wasn't hard to understand.
Demon-gods were always good at changing shape and walking the world in all kinds of forms. It was practically their signature move.
Surrounded by weapons, Mephisto remained utterly composed, as if the tense atmosphere had nothing to do with him.
He stood leisurely in front of Loki, completely ignoring everyone else. His deep eyes fixed on Harry, all attention focused on him.
His attitude was remarkably gentle—no hostility at all. Instead, it was like he'd met someone he truly admired. Smiling warmly, he said,
"So you really live up to the rumors. The famed master of chaos magic across the multiverse… the supreme powerhouse, Harry Potter!
With my mastery of mind magic, even the Sorcerer Supreme would struggle to notice it—let alone the rest of them.
And yet you detected it in the very first instant. Truly astonishing."
Then Mephisto and Harry began to talk. Back and forth, the atmosphere was oddly harmonious—so out of place compared to the tension around them.
Watching Harry and Mephisto chat like old pals, Tony clicked his tongue and muttered under his breath,
"If I didn't know who you two were, I'd think this was just two long-lost friends complimenting each other."
Tony's voice was so quiet it was practically a mosquito. Even Steve, standing next to him, had to strain to hear it.
But the tiny movement didn't escape Mephisto.
After all, he didn't rely on hearing—he relied on magical perception, the way most higher-dimensional beings sensed their surroundings.
Mephisto slowly turned his head, those deep eyes locking onto Tony.
Tony immediately felt massive pressure. His heart sped up, and he even started to feel unwell—only then did Mephisto smile lightly.
"I've heard of you, Tony Stark. You're very smart. In the future, perhaps you'll use your intellect to rival gods… with a mortal body."
If it were anyone else praising him like that, Tony would probably stay cool and barely react.
But this was a real dimensional demon-god praising him—an actual ruler of a dimension.
And Tony's pride ran deep. Being acknowledged by a being like this made him grin.
"Hey, I like this guy. Gotta say—he's got great taste."
Harry's expression immediately turned serious. He warned sharply,
"Tony. Remember this—never trust any devil.
Who's to say the 'good impression' you feel right now isn't the effect of mind magic?
Don't be fooled by his friendly face. In Hell, the number of souls he devours every day is probably greater than the entire population of New York."
Tony didn't try to act tough at a time like this. He dropped the cocky act, nodded seriously, and said,
"OK, Harry. Got it."
Mephisto looked helpless.
"Harry, you really don't need to be this wary of me."
Harry only gave a dry chuckle and didn't respond. The atmosphere instantly dropped to freezing dead silence.
Even though it looked like Harry and Mephisto had been casually chatting, Harry hadn't been idle.
He'd been carefully sensing Mephisto's current state, and what he found made him quietly relax.
At first, he'd genuinely thought Mephisto had slipped past the defensive arrays and the Sorcerer Supreme's blockade, bringing a portion of his true power down to Earth.
But now it was clear—this Mephisto was only an avatar, holding very little power.
That mind magic earlier was already his limit.
Seeing things teeter toward collapse between Harry and Mephisto, Steve frowned, stepped forward, stared Mephisto down, and demanded,
"Mephisto. What's your purpose on Earth?"
Mephisto's gaze drifted to Steve. He looked him up and down, weighed the Avengers' combat power in his head, then dropped the warm mask entirely.
His face filled with naked ridicule.
"A little bug doesn't have the right to speak to me."
Steve had eaten plenty of mockery in his life. Mephisto's sneer didn't faze him. He stayed steady and cold.
"I can do this all day."
Mephisto treated Steve like empty air.
He wiped away the teasing expression, turned back to Harry with a blank, indifferent face, and spoke slowly.
"Come, Harry. Let's talk. Perhaps the coming battle won't need to happen at all.
You don't want to see a lot of humans die, do you?"
Harry didn't believe a single word out of Mephisto's mouth. He sneered.
"Oh? And what are your terms?"
Mephisto knew the chances of a successful deal were slim, but he still wanted to try.
Trying didn't cost anything.
His twisted expression vanished, replaced by that kindly, harmless look again.
"Very simple. I don't need anything from you. I can even give you substantial benefits.
All you have to do is go to several dimensional demon-gods' realms that I specify… and cripple their dimensions.
If you do that, I'll halt the plan and stop invading Earth."
Harry saw through Mephisto instantly.
It was obvious: he wanted to use Harry to weaken other powerful hell-lords, accelerating his own rise to truly become "Satan."
A deal that helped the enemy? Harry was never agreeing to that.
He mocked,
"How funny. Not long ago, another dimensional demon-god tried to trade with me too.
But just like you think Steve isn't worthy to talk to you… that guy isn't worthy to trade with me either."
Mephisto's smile faded, turning cold.
"No wonder you were prepared. Then I suppose that demon-god was Dormammu, wasn't it? He and I have had quite a few problems lately.
Harry, I don't think our relationship is beyond repair. Even if I become Satan, I'd only reach a level comparable to Shuma-Gorath. I still wouldn't be a threat to you.
So why not trade with me? Or rather—what would your terms be?"
At that, Harry put on a dead-serious face, as if he would absolutely never lie, and said sincerely,
"Just let me enter your dimension, and I'll sign a contract with you. Don't worry—I never lie."
Mephisto's expression froze. He bared his teeth.
"You think I'm an idiot? I am the strongest hell-lord—Mephisto!
You try to fool me with a cheap trick like that—are you insulting me? I'm not human. I'm a devil!"
Harry, still completely serious, nodded.
"Correct. I am insulting you. What are you going to do about it?"
Mephisto's face twisted. He said nothing more.
He took a step back and, together with Loki, turned into flames and vanished before everyone's eyes—leaving only one final threat behind.
"Harry, you'll regret this. This game is going to be very interesting. Let me see just how far you can go!"
//Check out my P@tre0n for 20 extra chapters on all my fanfics //[email protected]/Razeil0810.