Chapter 45: Jean's Rampage
Lady Gao was dead, the Dragon Bone was secured, and everything was settled. Watching the flames spread through the building, Uchiha Akira decided to finish things off before leaving.
"Alright, step aside. I'll put out the fire."
"Suiton — Exploding Water Colliding Wave!" (Kisame's specialty: "Who's fixing the dam now?")
With Akira's vast chakra reserves fueling it, the massive surge of water quickly drowned out all the flames. Especially in a confined space like the skyscraper, both fire-style and water-style jutsu could unleash effects far beyond normal.
"The fire cores and surveillance feeds are cleared out too, right?"
"Don't worry, Clan Leader. Everything's been wiped clean."
Even the Dragon Bone inside the vault didn't escape Akira's hands. Infusing his short blade with lightning chakra, he sliced the vault open and took the Dragon Bone, sealing it away. The commotion this time was far too great—New York police were bound to arrive soon.
Sure enough, just after they left, the NYPD finally rushed to the scene. Residents had reported hearing explosions (fire-style) and others said the building's water system had burst, flooding the area.
As expected, the NYPD always arrived late at the critical moment.
When they forced the skyscraper's doors open, they were immediately swept back out by a torrent of water.
"Chief, we've evacuated the nearby civilians. The building's owner is a Japanese national, but he claims he rented the whole place out and doesn't know the details. Inside, we've already found more than fifty corpses—armed and equipped. The intact bodies clearly show signs of special training. It's very likely this was a hidden gang stronghold."
Listening to his men's report, George Stacy felt a headache coming on. He had barely taken up the position of police chief, and already he was facing such a massive casualty case. Luckily, the dead were all gangsters. It was most likely an internal gang massacre, which greatly reduced the pressure on him.
At least with gang wars, there were no protests or demonstrations, and almost no bereaved families demanding justice—most people were just glad their loved ones weren't caught in the crossfire. These cases were far easier to handle.
"Hello, are you Chief George Stacy? I'm Coulson. By higher orders, we're taking over this site." A man with "federal agent" written all over him presented his credentials.
"This is New York. It's my jurisdiction."
"Of course, Chief. But this incident involves another layer—potentially even a threat to national security. It's beyond the authority of local police, so we'll be handling it from here. As for New York's day-to-day safety, that will, of course, remain in your hands."
Coulson's words were calm yet firm. George knew the man was just following orders, and considering how unusual the situation looked, he didn't insist further.
Soon, the NYPD withdrew, and S.H.I.E.L.D. agents took over. To the public, though, it simply looked like the FBI had stepped in.
Uchiha Akira, having reaped his rewards, ran into a small but troublesome surprise on his way back—the Phoenix Force within Jean began to show signs of losing control. Akira didn't know the exact cause, but guessed it might have been triggered while she was reading Lady Gao's memories.
By the time they reached the estate, Jean's condition had worsened.
"Set up a barrier. No one is allowed nearby. I'll deal with Jean myself. Remember what I said—no one is to approach. The Phoenix Force's destructive power is on par with Susanoo. If the barrier fails, you evacuate immediately. That's an order!"
Akira feared his loyal subordinates would recklessly rush in to help and get caught in the devastation.
"Clan Leader, let us fight together!"
"I'll say it again—stay far away! I can protect myself. I have the Mangekyō Sharingan and space-time abilities. Do you? Jean's rampage isn't a joke. This is an order!"
Reluctantly, Inabi, Izumi, and the others obeyed and withdrew.
Looking at Jean, whose body was leaking Phoenix energy uncontrollably, Akira felt a throbbing headache.
"Great… I've really done it this time." Her rampage was probably connected to him, and he couldn't allow it to continue.
Activating his Mangekyō Sharingan, Akira called out:
"Jean, look into my eyes…"
The moment he opened them, his surroundings shifted—he now stood in a castle buried beneath ice and snow. The thick frozen layers sealed away every ruined wall and shattered stone.
"This… is Jean's inner world?" It was so desolate and lonely. Soon, packs of snowy ice wolves appeared on the frozen plains, their glowing green eyes fixated hungrily on him.
"Katon — Majestic Destroyer Flame!"
A massive surge of fire engulfed the wolves, turning hundreds of them to ash in their howls.
But Akira knew these were just illusions born of Jean's mind. Only by finding the true core could he solve her current state.
Though the castle loomed ahead, no matter how far he ran through the storm, he remained trapped on its outskirts.
"Damn it! I'm terrible at therapy! Susanoo!"
Chakra exploded from his body, and Susanoo fully took shape.
This was the strongest Susanoo he could muster at his current level. The perfect form was still beyond him.
"The strength of this Susanoo should be the upper limit of a normal Mangekyō." With its great wings spread wide, Susanoo soared into the storm.
In flight, the strange sense of distance vanished, and soon he closed in on the castle. The moment Susanoo landed, the entire fortress warped and distorted.
With a thunderous crash, Susanoo's palm struck the castle, shattering the icy layers like glass.
"Jean! Can you hear my voice?"
"Jean!"
"If that's how it is, don't blame me for being rough!" Akira drew his sword, Susanoo gripping it tightly, and began to hack at the fortress. Blow after blow, the castle shook violently until it finally collapsed into ruins.
At its core, a half-human, half-phoenix figure—naked and wreathed in flames—crouched, quietly sobbing.
Her tears rolled down her face, only to be instantly vaporized by Phoenix fire. The ones that fell onto the icy ground froze into crystal.
"Jean, can you see me? It's me, Uchiha Akira. You're safe now." Susanoo's giant hand reached out to cover her protectively.
In that instant, the Phoenix Force erupted like a tsunami, shattering Susanoo's hand down to particles.
"Condense!"
Fortunately, Susanoo was made of chakra. As long as Akira had enough chakra, it could never truly be destroyed.
The hand reformed, only to be blasted apart again. Over and over, he repeated the cycle, remolding Susanoo more than a thousand times.
"I need another way… Even if this is the mental world, chakra consumption is lower—but the strain on my mind will break me if this drags on."
No matter how desperately he called out, Jean didn't respond.
"Jean, if you trust me—open your heart. I'll lead you out of this!"
"Jean!"
His cries echoed endlessly, but to little effect.
Akira began to feel his body heat rising, as if he were standing in a sea of fire. Even Susanoo itself was being dyed a deep crimson, the fiery hue spreading across its entire form.
But in his single-minded focus on calling to Jean Grey, Akira didn't even notice.