"Something's very wrong here."
Marcus stared in disbelief. The situation made no sense. By all logic, the tendrils from his Gaze ability should have completely immobilized Apocalypse.
But Apocalypse had only paused for a moment before dissolving all the tendrils wrapped around his body.
In the past, Xaku's Lost Skills from the Void Reverberation had always been reliable, with impressive offensive and control capabilities.
Yet now, facing the corrupted Apocalypse, even Gaze—one of the three Lost Skills—couldn't properly restrain him. Instead, Apocalypse had broken free with apparent ease.
"How can a mutant resist Void tendrils?"
Seeing Apocalypse move freely, Marcus immediately deployed another Lost Skill.
"Lost Skill: Accuse!"
A Void fissure opened, and drifting energy spread toward Apocalypse.
But again, Apocalypse remained unaffected. As the power of Accusation enveloped him, Marcus noticed golden energy pulsing from Apocalypse's body, neutralizing the Void energy released by the skill.
"I see now! That's why he broke free from the Gaze tendrils. He's using energy from the Void fissure to counter my abilities!"
Marcus finally understood. The corrupted Apocalypse couldn't actually use Void powers himself, but his entire body was infused with Void energy. This residual power not only enhanced Apocalypse's abilities but also shielded him from Void-based attacks.
This wasn't insurmountable for Marcus. If control abilities wouldn't work on Apocalypse, he'd switch to direct attacks—at least to strip away the Void energy surrounding him first.
Drawing his energy blade, Marcus channeled wild Void energy into it. The blade glowed brighter, tearing through the air with a sharp hiss.
"Secret Words of Truth!"
As Marcus slashed toward Apocalypse, he poured Void energy into the blade, elevating its destructive power to new heights.
Clang!
Apocalypse raised his scepter and blocked Marcus's energy blade.
The golden scepter also contained flowing Void energy. With this power, Apocalypse easily deflected Marcus's slash.
But this attack was merely the appetizer. As Marcus brought his blade down, his fingertips began to glow.
"Lost Skill: Deny!"
Void energy gushed from his fingertips like a torrent, transforming into a beam that shot straight at Apocalypse.
At such close range, no matter how fast Apocalypse's reflexes were, he couldn't possibly block it.
Indeed, faced with Marcus's Void beam, Apocalypse didn't even try to resist—he simply teleported to another position.
Whoosh!
The Void beam struck the pyramid instead, punching a hole through one of its ornate stone pillars.
Seeing his shot miss, Marcus stomped hard and rushed toward Apocalypse. The energy blade in his hand glowed brilliantly as he swung, releasing a blade of energy.
Swish!
Ding!
Facing the oncoming energy blade, Apocalypse tapped his scepter lightly against the ground. Stone pillars surged upward like waves, rushing to intercept both the energy blade and Marcus himself.
Though the energy blade's destructive power was impressive, it was merely an imitation of the Exalted Sword. Its power couldn't compare to the original.
Against the wave-like stone pillars, the energy blade cut through only a few before its power was spent.
Marcus was forced to push hard against the air. Energy materialized beneath his feet, allowing him to jump upward, avoiding the wave of stone pillars.
Seeing Marcus leap into the air, Apocalypse raised his scepter, and the environment began to change rapidly.
The field of yellow sand expanded even further, engulfing even the area where Erik and the others stood.
"Everyone, stay together! Don't let the sand separate you!"
Charles's voice echoed in everyone's minds. Having regained his senses, he had immediately recognized the danger. He was the first to react, instructing everyone to gather.
Just as they came together, a strange sound emerged from the sand that filled the air.
Boom, boom, boom...
Countless soldiers holding spears appeared as if from nowhere. Their steps were perfectly synchronized, creating a dull, rhythmic thud each time they landed.
"Oh my God..."
Kurt, the blue devil, stared in shock at the scene before them. A massive army had materialized. Though their weapons seemed ancient, their sheer numbers were overwhelming.
Boom! Swish!
The soldiers moved as one, hurling their spears toward Marcus, who was still battling Apocalypse.
Countless spears fell from the sky, covering Marcus like a deadly rain.
Just as the dense volley was about to strike him, fragments of Marcus's body exploded outward, releasing wild Void energy in all directions.
"Ultra-dimensional Purgatory, activate!"
The spears meant to end Marcus were instantly obliterated in the blast of his Ultimate ability. A skeleton radiating light appeared where he had stood.
Apocalypse no longer engaged Marcus directly. He flew straight up into the air and waved his scepter lightly.
The yellow sand surged in the soldiers' hands, quickly forming new spears that they launched toward Marcus again.
Swish!
The spears blackened the sky like storm clouds.
"Take down those soldiers!" Charles ordered.
Following his command, the mutants rushed toward the sand army.
Alex released red beams from his fists and chest, attacking the soldiers. Scott, who could also project energy beams, removed his glasses without hesitation. Red beams burst from his eyes, their combined assault wiping out large numbers of sand soldiers.
Erik manipulated massive amounts of metal, flying at high speed through the enormous army, crushing the soldiers' bodies one by one.
Ororo didn't attack the soldiers directly. The storm around her grew larger, and under her control, it rushed toward the spears thrown by the soldiers.
The massive tempest swept up billowing clouds of dust, catching all the thrown spears before charging toward the army itself.
During their coordinated attack, large sections of the army were quickly decimated.
But Apocalypse's expression never changed. He waved his hand again, and countless grains of sand began flowing together, reforming a new army in seconds.
These soldiers, made entirely of sand, could be regenerated endlessly under his power. No matter how many they destroyed, more would take their place.
Watching the fallen soldiers reshape themselves from the yellow sand, Charles and the others quickly realized the futility of their situation. These soldiers couldn't be permanently eliminated unless they could defeat Apocalypse himself.
However, Apocalypse's power far exceeded what it had been before. Their attacks couldn't even penetrate the protective shield surrounding him, let alone harm him directly.
Now they could only place their hopes in Marcus, praying he could somehow defeat Apocalypse. Their job was to hold back the endless army of sand soldiers and buy him the time he needed.
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