Days passed by, and soon it was time for S.H.I.E.L.D. to transport the Talisman.
To ensure secrecy, S.H.I.E.L.D. made no overt preparations the day before the operation. Agents were stationed at designated locations, yet none knew their next move.
In Section 13, besides Black and the protagonist trio, no other operative was aware of the Talisman's impending transfer, not even a whisper.
On the Helicarrier, Nick Fury stood in the command center, flanked by his two confidantes, Hill and Coulson.
"Sir, everyone is in position. The plan can commence."
Nick Fury nodded and inquired, "What about the Dragon family? Are they in place?"
Hill shook her head. "Not yet. According to Mr. Dragon, his niece caused trouble at school, and as her guardian, he had to go there."
Fury's already dark face grew even darker upon hearing Hill's report.
At this critical juncture, attending to personal matters at school? Couldn't he distinguish between what was important and what wasn't?
However, as a civilian and not an agent, Dragon indeed had the right to make that choice. There was little Fury could do, regretting only that he hadn't simply ordered all schools in New York to close for a day, thus avoiding this absurd situation.
"Forget it. Dragon isn't crucial. What matters is Uncle, is he here?"
"Unfortunately, Uncle isn't here either. He mentioned having something he absolutely had to do. However, he said the precautionary magic has already been set up. Sir, should we abort the plan?"
Nick Fury stated, "These people are indeed unreliable. We're already committed; if we can't complete the transfer today, I can't explain it to my subordinates, nor will those old geezers in government let me off the hook."
"Proceed with the plan."
The plan commenced. The Helicarrier sped towards Section 13. Meanwhile, agents who received the orders acted swiftly, entering Section 13 at top speed.
Inside Section 13.
Black, who had been waiting, handed a black iron box to the leading agent. Various magical inscriptions were carved onto the box, indicating that Uncle had indeed put considerable effort into security.
The team leader, however, was not privy to this and, seeing only an iron box protecting the Talisman, asked, "Is this thing reliable?"
Black didn't mince words. "This iron box can effectively isolate the demonic energy emanating from the Talisman, and any dark magic or creatures related to dark magic cannot lift it."
The agent held the box, examining it from various angles. Despite Black's explanation, he remained somewhat skeptical.
"Are you going or not?!"
Having already been severely reprimanded by his superiors for the S.H.I.E.L.D. intercepting the Talisman and the attack on Section 13, Black was now annoyed by this junior agent's dawdling over a Talisman, as if he, the captain, was merely a figurehead.
Sensing Black's impending anger, the agent captain quickly handed the iron box to his second-in-command and hurried his team away from Section 13.
But as the agents obtained the Talisman and departed Section 13, an unexpected event occurred.
Dark shadows engulfed nearly the entire street, and hundreds of shadow ninjas emerged from the darkness. This force included not only Jade's ninja army but also Sama's troll legion.
"Don't be afraid! Activate Plan A!"
Faced with the vast number of shadow soldiers, a sea of darkness, fear was inevitable. However, S.H.I.E.L.D., having conducted numerous simulations, had anticipated such a scenario and prepared contingency plans.
The agents promptly drew the firearms from their waists.
Upon closer inspection, the guns in the agents' hands differed from ordinary firearms.
The gun barrels were etched with enchantments, and the bullets fired also bore faint inscriptions.
This was S.H.I.E.L.D.'s strategy to counter the shadow soldiers.
Wasn't it said that only magic could defeat magic?
Under significant investment, S.H.I.E.L.D. had rushed to produce a batch of enchanted weapons overnight.
The effect of the bullets hitting the shadow soldiers was immediate. Ordinary shadow ninjas were taken down with one shot each, while the larger troll ninjas required three shots.
The enchanted weapons' effectiveness was undeniable, but the sheer number of shadow soldiers was overwhelming. The agents were not supernatural beings and did not possess infinite ammunition.
During the brief intervals of reloading, the shadow soldiers launched swift attacks, their first step being to disarm the agents of their enchanted weapons, making subsequent takedowns much easier.
Some were even more audacious, with four or five troll ninjas forming a vanguard, enduring enchanted bullets to advance. As one fell, another immediately filled its place, relentlessly shrinking the agents' operational space.
It could be said that after leaving Section 13, the agents carrying the Talisman had not moved forward an inch.
Under the relentless assault of what seemed like an endless human wave, the agents began to experience various problems: dwindling ammunition, restricted movement, and constant sneak attacks from elusive ninjas.
The original team of forty agents suffered injuries and casualties, their numbers rapidly diminishing. In a mere ten minutes, fewer than ten remained.
"Hold on, brothers! Our reinforcements will arrive soon!"
To boost morale, one agent shouted loudly, only to be punched into the ground by an incoming troll ninja.
Had S.H.I.E.L.D.'s extensive planning amounted to only enchanted weapons?
Of course not.
It was simply that Bai Qi had intercepted S.H.I.E.L.D.'s various preparations through different means, preventing them from rendering timely support.
The Helicarrier encountered a most troublesome problem.
Uncle's protective magic was primarily focused on severing the Sacred Beast's perception of the Talisman and blocking demonic energy from approaching the iron box, overlooking several crucial aspects.
Yes, with the iron box's protection, Bai Qi couldn't precisely track the Talisman's movements. However, this didn't stop Bai Qi from deploying people to conduct round-the-clock surveillance. And while demonic energy was blocked, Bai Qi could have ordinary people, untainted by dark energy, carry the iron box away.
More importantly, by dedicating so much effort and time to these aspects, they neglected the defenses of the Helicarrier.
Not long after the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier had departed, dark shadows enveloped it.
The next moment, a shadow ninja with bat-like wings appeared behind Nick Fury, its claws poised to strike down the highest leader of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Nick Fury was no idle bystander. Even as the director of S.H.I.E.L.D. and the top spy in the entire nation, he had not neglected his own training.
With a flash, he dodged the ninja's attack, then drew the pistol from his waist and turned, firing a shot at the ninja behind him.
The bullet accurately pierced the ninja's head.
However, this eliminated ninja was merely the beginning; the main course was yet to come.