In terms of age, the Ancient One has lived for at least five hundred years. As for Bayonetta, her duel with Jeanne before she was sealed also took place five hundred years ago.
In terms of combat power, Bayonetta is skilled in both close combat and long-range attacks, and the Ancient One is not far behind. After all, her base is in Asia. Over hundreds of years, in addition to the Chinese kung fu she has been exposed to the most, she has also mastered other martial arts, including yoga, Muay Thai, and karate. Coupled with her unique spatial magic, she can also be considered an all-rounder equally adept at both close and long-range combat.
In terms of cheats.
The Ancient One possesses the Eye of Agamotto, which is the Time Stone. Her archenemy Dormammu is her charging treasure, and she also has magical artifacts confiscated from various dimensions.
And Bayonetta? The World Eye's effectiveness is not much worse than the Time Stone. Madam Butterfly, who lives in hell, has signed a contract with her, and she carries a pile of weapons and items made from angel or demon essence.
The styles displayed in combat are vastly different, but honestly, if we set aside these superficial differences and directly analyze their essence, they are actually very similar in every aspect.
If we had to score them and determine a winner... the Ancient One is better at using the overall situation to unleash AOE attacks, somewhat like the wise generals described in legends who excel at burning enemy camps and flooding armies. Bayonetta, on the other hand, excels at one-on-one strong kills, more like a fierce general who slays generals and captures banners amidst a myriad of troops.
Each has their strengths, making it difficult to conclude who is more powerful.
When a general meets a worthy opponent and a chess player meets their match, this skirmish was incredibly fierce.
If the Ancient One hadn't timely opened the Mirror Dimension, let alone the small garden on the rooftop, the entire building might not have been saved.
Well, it was precisely because the Ancient One opened the Mirror Dimension that Shi Xiaolei found an opportunity to stop the two from continuing their fight.
He took out a long wooden staff from his backpack... This was a new item he found while browsing the system's marketplace after the three women left yesterday and he was bored. Although it was only a blue-grade item and not the type a barbarian usually uses, seeing the 'Summon Meteor Level 15' spell attached to this staff, Shi Xiaolei felt it might come in handy in certain special situations. Seeing that the price wasn't very expensive, Shi Xiaolei bought it.
"Stop it, both of you~!" Shi Xiaolei raised the staff and shouted loudly.
After merging with the barbarian bloodline, he had only used the skills of his own profession and didn't know what magic-based professional skills would look like in the Marvel Universe. He also felt that Bayonetta and the Ancient One were strong enough, and if the commotion he created was too small, it wouldn't be enough to divert their attention.
Gritting his teeth and steeling his resolve, Shi Xiaolei simply emptied all the casting charges on the staff at once.
Fifteen casts summoned more than just fifteen meteors.
In an instant, a large expanse of glowing red dots appeared in the sky, hurtling down with a whooshing sound as if equipped with an automatic guidance system.
The smaller ones were the size of millstones, and the larger meteors were even as big as a family car. Coupled with their number... even the well-traveled Ancient One and Bayonetta were startled by this scene, which resembled an apocalyptic disaster.
Not daring to be careless, the two exchanged glances, halted their duel, and shifted all their attention to dealing with the meteors.
Sister Bayonetta switched to her most powerful quad-barreled rocket launcher, unleashing hundreds of rockets in a burst towards the falling meteor shower. As for the Ancient One, after Bayonetta finished her attack, she spread her hands above her head, deploying a magic shield several square kilometers in area.
Meteor fragments shattered by the rockets streaked across the sky like beautiful fireworks, creating countless trails of light, while those that slipped through the cracks slammed solidly onto the magic shield like high-yield aerial bombs.
"Boom~! Boom, boom, boom, boom~!"
The bombardment lasted for nearly a minute.
The sky above the magic shield was completely obscured, enveloped in flames and dust.
Finally, when the smoke cleared, the Ancient One retracted her magic shield and, with a speechless expression, turned her gaze to the instigator.
Almost simultaneously, Bayonetta also put away her equipment, crossed her arms, and looked over with a playful glint in her eyes.
"Uh..." Feeling a bit awkward, he waved his hand, intending to explain, but realized he was still holding the 'evidence.' Shi Xiaolei quickly put away the staff: "Ah ha, ah ha ha ha~, nice weather, huh."
"It is pretty good, it's raining meteors," Bayonetta said, striding over with long, model-like steps, leaning half her body against Shi Xiaolei's arm. "I didn't expect you to know magic too. Is it because of that wooden stick you just had? Don't put it away, let me see it."
"It is indeed quite surprising," the Ancient One also slowly approached. "Locke, you've once again defied my imagination."
"Uh, well..." Since Sister Bayonetta had already spoken, he would have to take out the staff anyway, so Shi Xiaolei simply told the truth: "Actually, it's the ability of this staff."
"The craftsmanship doesn't seem that great, huh? These patterns are quite interesting, are they magic runes?"
"I don't know either." Shi Xiaolei spread his hands and shrugged.
"They should be magic runes, no doubt. From their trajectory, it's clear they weren't added to make it more comfortable to hold, and they're not particularly attractive..." Staring at the staff for a couple of seconds, the Ancient One logically concluded, "Besides magic runes, I can't think of any other explanation."
They were just fighting like mortal enemies, how did they start chatting together now?
However, surprise aside, the current situation happened to align perfectly with his wishes.
"That's right, what's there to say? Sit down and talk calmly. Why fight and kill as soon as you meet?"
Looking at Bayonetta, Shi Xiaolei finally found an opportunity to introduce, "Sister Bayonetta, this is Master Ancient One, the leader of Kamar-Taj."
"Hello, I am the Ancient One." Whether she was maintaining her image as a venerable figure or had gauged Sister Bayonetta's temperament during the fight and assumed she wouldn't shake hands, the Ancient One merely smiled and nodded at Sister Bayonetta, without any intention of offering a handshake.
"Bayonetta." With her arms crossed and her head held high, Sister Bayonetta responded with a hint of pride.
"Since we've greeted each other, that means we're acquainted, right? Come on, let's go inside and chat slowly. Speaking of which, I still don't know what the house looks like inside. Sister Bayonetta, have all the things you bought been delivered?"
As Shi Xiaolei spoke, the Ancient One dispelled the Mirror Dimension. The rooftop garden, which had been in a chaotic state, returned to its pristine condition.
Meeting Sister Bayonetta's slightly surprised gaze, the Ancient One smiled faintly: "Just a small trick. If you're interested, we can exchange notes. By the way, may I come in for a cup of tea?"
"...Hmph~."
"Sorry, Master Ancient One, please don't mind. Sister Bayonetta is also..."
"I know," the Ancient One interrupted Shi Xiaolei, then suddenly winked playfully. "She and I are the same kind of person. There was a time when I was very much like her now... not just in temper, but even my hairstyle was quite similar."