When she thought of this, Jean Grey fell silent. This was the final moment of the decisive battle. If they won, everyone would rejoice. If they lost, they would all be doomed. Even though the reserve combat students from the X-Men Academy lacked real battlefield experience, they would have no time to adapt.
Then, Magneto summoned a few of his followers. The X-Men and the Brotherhood had been enemies and allies before. This was not the first time they had joined forces to fight against a powerful foe, so no one present voiced any real objection.
After that, Magneto turned again to Jean Grey. He understood that her current condition was extremely unstable. Though the Dark Phoenix was undeniably powerful once unleashed, she might very well annihilate her own allies first. Magneto didn't dare take such a walking bomb with him. But seeing Jean Grey's anxious expression now, he feared that refusing her might trigger her, and she'd explode into the Dark Phoenix on the spot.
Under normal circumstances, Jean Grey was relatively rational. But now, her emotions were at their most volatile, and Magneto couldn't tell whether this pressure might push her over the edge.
At this moment, Shin spoke calmly. "Miss Jean Grey, I think you're well aware of your current condition. I'm afraid I can't let you join this battle."
A flash of red flickered in Jean Grey's eyes. Magneto instinctively took a step back. If the Phoenix truly erupted now, he doubted his aging body could survive the blast.
"I... I understand," Jean Grey murmured in disappointment. But she quickly realized that her dip in mood was weakening the Phoenix Force's seal, and in fear, she immediately focused her breathing and calmed herself.
The Phoenix Force was not something one could handle simply by wanting to. Even if Jean used it to kill Apocalypse in the original movie, it had only been a temporary victory. She would still be bound by the Phoenix Force thereafter.
Of course, the first eruption of the Phoenix Force was always the most terrifying. But like any mutant ability, the more one adapted to it, the easier it became to control.
Jean Grey's real issue lay in her early awakening. The Phoenix Force had begun to manifest before she reached adulthood. At the time, she had only been seven or eight years old. How could a child control such power?
Professor X had seen the looming danger, but he had no better option. Trying to teach a child to master the Phoenix Force would be like handing nuclear launch codes to a second-grader.
In the end, Professor X chose to seal the Phoenix Force. But what came after that? Nothing. He had no plan... only to delay the inevitable.
As Jean matured, so did the sealed Phoenix Force. Professor X knew that the longer he stalled, the harder it would be to resolve the threat. But what could he do? Let Jean gamble with her life to see whether she could endure its power?
To the old professor, Jean Grey was like a beloved daughter. He simply couldn't bring himself to risk her like that. So he kept postponing until things escalated to this point.
Magneto regarded Jean Grey as a living and walking bomb. But Shin didn't think so. In fact, Jean's situation wasn't that different from a tailed beast jinchūriki.
Compared to jinchūriki, Jean's case was actually easier. The Phoenix Force had instincts but no consciousness or personality or rather, as a multiversal-level being, it didn't care about Jean enough to resist her. There was no risk of it intentionally turning against her.
The downside, however, was that the Phoenix Force had no wisdom. This made reconciliation, as one might attempt with a tailed beast, nearly impossible.
Still, as hard as it was to control the Phoenix Force, it wasn't impossible. After all, the White Phoenix had already appeared in the comics.
More importantly, while others were unsure about the Phoenix Force's nature, Shin knew it well. It was arguably the most powerful form of energy he had ever encountered.
If Jean Grey could master it, she would leap from a second-tier superhero to someone who could rival Odin. In time, she could even reach the upper limit of a single universe's power scale.
Ordinary methods couldn't control the Phoenix Force but Shin had no shortage of outlandish ideas. One only had to look at how he evolved the Munch-Munch Fruit into a full-body transformation ability to understand the scope of his imagination.
Shin didn't have any way to instantly boost Jean Grey's mental fortitude. But because he understood the nature of the Phoenix Force, he had a method to weaken it.
"If you truly want to participate in this battle, you must control the Phoenix Force. I have a method that could reduce its strength by half. Are you willing to try it?" Shin asked gently.
Magneto narrowed his eyes and muttered, "Kevin, I don't think you understand just how terrifying the Phoenix Force inside Jean really is."
'What nonsense. I understand it far better than you do,' Shin thought to himself, though his expression remained serious. "At this point, the Phoenix Force in Jean can no longer be contained. It's only a matter of time before it erupts... three to five months at most. It's better to try my method now."
"If it works, Jean's strength will increase drastically, and we can count on her in this battle."
"Otherwise, even if the X-Men and the Brotherhood combine forces, I fear we still won't be Apocalypse's match."
In truth, even Shin couldn't say for sure that he could defeat Apocalypse. While Shin was certainly stronger and faster, Apocalypse's ability to manipulate molecules made raw physical strength ineffective.
Apocalypse had complete control over his molecular and subatomic structure. He could change shape, regenerate, and alter his size making him virtually immune to physical attacks.
Unless Shin could land a punch that broke molecular bonds, which he couldn't—he wasn't all-powerful, after all.
As for Shin's diverse arsenal of abilities, Apocalypse had absorbed so many mutant powers over time that he easily outclassed him.
Not to mention, Apocalypse could absorb energy, rendering most of Shin's ninjutsu and Devil Fruit powers ineffective.
Immune to most physical, energy, and mental attacks. Capable of teleportation. Armed with countless mutant abilities acquired over centuries—Apocalypse was, without a doubt, one of the most formidable opponents Shin had ever faced.
*******************************
If you would like to gain early access, you can join me at www.patre on.com/bookbattalion
85+ Advance Chapters Now Available!