Chapter 386: How Will You Respond?
Magneto watched Peter approaching step by step, and the relaxed smile on his face instantly vanished.
Although he had been caught off guard by Peter's Moonwalk, a thought still echoed in Magneto's mind: "I can still control this!"
It was true that the Deep Forest Emergence greatly restricted his control over metal. But that didn't mean he had completely lost his combat effectiveness.
As one of the top Mutants on Earth, his understanding of magnetic fields had long since transcended the simple category of "controlling iron."
"Hmph!" Magneto snorted coldly and suddenly spread his hands wide.
An invisible magnetic field spread wildly in all directions with him at the center.
Although he couldn't directly lift the metal debris entangled by the tree roots, he could manipulate the magnetic field to directly sever the connections between the metal molecules, thereby forcibly breaking the exposed iron objects into metal fragments for his use.
As Magneto raised his hand in a beckoning gesture, these metal fragments swept toward Peter like a meat grinder.
At the same time, another, more bizarre force simultaneously locked onto Peter's body.
Peter could clearly feel the flow of blood within his body becoming chaotic, and his heartbeat also showed a hint of discord.
It was iron ions! Magneto was trying to manipulate the iron ions in his blood to restrict his movements from the inside!
Although the iron ion content in the human body wasn't high, and even if it were all extracted, it wouldn't be enough to kill someone directly, this manipulation of iron ions was enough to make a person feel dizzy or have difficulty moving!
Clearly, he intended to use this ability to restrict Peter's movement, making it easier for those metal fragments to pierce Peter's body.
"Interesting." Peter commented with great interest.
Facing the metal storm capable of instantly grinding steel into powder, he couldn't even be bothered to adopt a defensive stance, simply continuing to walk forward step by step.
"Clang, clang, clang—!" A dense sound, like a rainstorm hitting banana leaves, rang out.
Those incredibly sharp metal dust particles crashed against his skin covered in Armament Haki, but apart from sparking a series of tiny flashes, they achieved nothing else.
As for the slight disturbance inside his body, for Peter, who possessed the Horse Talisman and could dispel his own abnormal states at any time, it didn't even count as an itch.
He was seen braving that terrifying metal storm, ignoring the terrifying magnetic field all around, and steadily closing in on Magneto.
Such a scene, falling into the eyes of the students below, could no longer be described with the simple word "shocking."
"My god... he is simply..." Nightcrawler's mouth was wide open, his eyes filled with shock.
"Simply Superman!" Li Qianhuan, who was beside him, directly completed the second half of his sentence.
Invulnerable to weapons, possessing immense strength, able to fly and burrow, creating a forest with a wave of his hand... With this performance, it felt like he was only missing Cyclops to be Superman.
Watching Peter getting closer and closer, beads of sweat couldn't help but appear on Magneto's forehead.
He pushed his magnetic field to the limit, even forcibly dragging a flattened school bus from the ruins further away and smashing it fiercely toward Peter.
But Peter couldn't even be bothered to look, simply throwing a punch casually. "Boom!"
The school bus, weighing several tons, was smashed directly into a metal pancake by his simple and brutal punch.
At the same time, Peter had already arrived in front of Magneto. The fist that had previously been enough to crush the school bus was now less than half a meter away from Magneto's cheek!
Seeing that fist gradually enlarging in his retina, Magnetohad to give up all his flashy attacks, concentrating all his power on one point to build an extremely distorted repulsive magnetic field in front of him!
Hum! A bizarre scene occurred.
Peter's unstoppable fist, when it came within half a meter of Magneto, visibly deflected its trajectory, brushing past his body and crashing into empty space.
It was at this critical moment that a figure appeared silently behind Peter like a ghost. It was Angel!
His pair of metal wings, modified by Apocalypse, cut through the air, creating two deadly cold lights, like two of the sharpest war blades, fiercely stabbing at Peter's heart from behind!
The angle of this strike was incredibly tricky, seizing the exact moment when Peter's old force had been exhausted, his new force had not yet arisen, and his defense was at its weakest!
"Watch out!" Professor X and Jean Grey cried out in alarm simultaneously.
The students in the academy couldn't help but have their hearts in their throats, and a few younger girls even covered their eyes, afraid to look any longer, fearing they would see those bloody and cruel scenes they imagined.
Crack!!! A harsh sound of metal snapping echoed across the battlefield!
Under the surprised gazes of Professor X and the others, the moment Angel's metal wings, which were incredibly sharp after being modified by Apocalypse, stabbed into Peter's back, they didn't burst forth with blinding blood.
Instead... Angel's iron wings shattered directly!
The wings only barely managed to tear Peter's clothes, revealing the sturdy back muscles underneath covered in a layer of pitch-black substance.
The moment the iron wings collided with the bronze-cast and iron-forged-like back muscles, because they couldn't withstand that solid power, they could only break there.
The ferocity and smugness on Angel's face instantly froze. He widened his eyes in shock, simply unable to believe that his full-strength strike couldn't even break the opponent's defense!
Just then, Peter slowly turned around, staring at Angelwith a half-smile as he lamented: "Sneak attack? You kid... you're pretty brave, huh~"
As he spoke, one hand had already grabbed the sturdy wing, and no matter how Angel flapped his wings, he couldn't struggle free.
Following that, Peter's left hand also grabbed the other half of Angel's wing.
Grabbing one wing with one hand, under Angel's gaze of extreme terror, he pulled gently to both sides... just like tearing apart a roast chicken.
Accompanied by blood splattering, Angel's two steel wings, along with a large piece of flesh and blood, were ripped off by Peter!
Angel in mid-air let out a pig-slaughtering roar, and could only scream as he fell from a height of tens of meters.
Unlike Wolverine's full-body strengthening, his entire being relied on this pair of wings. After losing his wings, he completely devolved into a mortal flesh and blood body.
Falling from such a height in this situation... one could imagine the outcome.
Magneto wiped the warm liquid splashed on his face with somewhat stiff movements, his body feeling as cold as if he had fallen into an ice cellar. At this moment, he finally realized what an incredible figure he had provoked.
But everything, clearly, was already too late. Having dealt with Angel, Peter slowly turned back, his gaze locked onto Magneto.
"I admit, your control over magnetic fields really has some skill to it, but..."
The moment his voice fell, Peter suddenly opened his right hand, and a ball of incredibly intense lightning suddenly lit up in his palm!
Chirp, chirp, chirp~ Accompanied by the screeching sound resembling Chidori, Peter's calm voice rang in Magneto's ear: "When I bring out electromagnetic force, how will you respond, Your Excellency?"
Chapter 387: Lightning Release: Kirin
Electromagnetic force.
When these three words came lightly out of Peter's mouth, Magneto's expression changed drastically.
He looked at the restless, leaping lightning in Peter's palm. The blinding light and the chirping screeches felt like an invisible sledgehammer slamming heavily against his heart.
How was that possible?
This human not only possessed monstrous physical strength, but could even control lightning?
After all, electricity and magnetism were two sides of the same coin.
The reason he, Eric, could become "Magneto" was precisely because his understanding and manipulation of the entire Earth's magnetic field had reached the absolute pinnacle.
After being enhanced by Apocalypse, his control over magnetic fields had reached an even more unimaginable level.
He was even confident that he could forcibly control any ordinary, man-made electromagnetic field.
But the lightning in this man's palm before him gave him a sense of dread.
He could feel that the lightning in this man's hand was anything but simple!
It was absolutely not the mere charging and discharging that an ordinary Mutant could do, but something infinitely close to natural lightning!
No, it was impossible!
Magneto shook his head, forcing down those "unrealistic" thoughts in his mind.
He silently told himself in his heart.
A person's power has its limits.
No matter how strong this young man in front of him was, he was still just a human in the end!
Although he didn't know how the youth had obtained power even greater than an Omega-level Mutant like himself,
having two or three of such powers should already be the limit!
How could every single superpower be mastered to the absolute pinnacle?
That's right! That must be it!
Perhaps the lightning in the youth's hand was already the absolute limit of what he could do!
He only needed to hold on for a moment. As long as his control and output of the magnetic field remained stable enough, he might still be able to forcibly turn it around and suppress the electromagnetic field created by his opponent!
At this thought, the last trace of hesitation in Magneto's eyes was replaced by resolve.
"Hmph! Don't think a little trick like this can scare me!"
Magneto roared, suddenly pushing his control over magnetic fields to an unprecedented extreme!
Because he exerted himself too hard, the veins around his temples bulged out.
As he pushed his ability to the limit, invisible magnetic field lines frantically expanded outward, intertwined, and stacked with him at the center, forming an absolute barrier in front of him composed of pure repulsive force—one so ridiculously intense that it could even be observed with the naked eye.
The metal debris he had forcibly extracted from the ruins now turned into his most loyal guards, spinning rapidly around him to form an additional shredding Storm.
But in the face of Magneto's efforts, Peter remained completely nonchalant.
With a calm expression, he simply stepped on the air, walking forward step by step against the terrifying magnetic field that was strong enough to bend light.
As he advanced, the lightning in his hand visibly distorted due to the interference of the magnetic field.
But that was all. Although the magnetic field caused the shape of the lightning to fluctuate, it could not stop its advance.
Zzzzt~
The Storm of metal debris was the first to make contact with the Chidori, but the moment it touched the lightning, it was demagnetized by the high temperature and high-voltage electric arc, crumbling into tiny specks of dust and falling away.
After breaking through the metal Storm, Peter continued to walk forward with a calm expression.
Cold sweat began to seep from Magneto's forehead.
The second layer, the third layer...
Layer after layer of magnetic barriers were breached by the terrifying electrical power.
Magneto's face began to turn pale, his body trembling slightly from overloading his ability, and a streak of bright red blood trickled down from his nose.
This was a sign of overusing his ability, which had already caused fundamental damage!
Peter's figure became clearer and clearer in Magneto's dilating pupils.
In the blink of an eye, the lightning was less than three inches away from his heart.
He could even smell the scent of ozone ionized in the air.
The shadow of death had never been as thick as it was at this moment.
But just then...
Sizzle~
The unstoppable lightning actually came to a halt without any warning.
...
Magneto froze.
An overwhelming sense of relief from surviving the ordeal surged over him like a tide, making him almost collapse to the ground uncontrollably.
He felt his heart beating like a drum. Looking at Peter, who was close at hand, a smile mixed with lingering fear and smugness involuntarily appeared on his face.
He won!
In this clash between electricity and magnetism, it was he, Magneto, who had won in the end!
"I told you, don't think this little..."
Magneto was just about to say something to mock Peter's overestimation of his own strength, while also venting the fear of having just walked past the gates of hell.
But before he could finish his sentence, the shocked and horrified screams of Storm and Psylocke echoed from not far away:
"What is that?!"
If it were those kids from the X-Academy making a fuss, he would have just sneered, dismissing it as some boring trick like 'Look, a UFO!'
But the ones speaking were Storm and Psylocke, who were also part of the Four Horsemen of Apocalypse, so he had no choice but to take it seriously.
Subconsciously following their gazes, he stiffly turned his head and looked up at the sky above him.
With just one glance,
the smile on Magneto's face froze completely.
His mouth fell wide open, and a wheezing sound like a leaking bellows came from his throat. The horror in his eyes was a hundred times more intense than when he had faced death just moments ago!
In the thick, leaden layer of dark clouds overhead, a head so massive that it defied description had emerged at some point.
It was a mythical creature composed entirely of billions of bolts of lightning!
It had two horns on its head and was shaped like a giant dragon, with every single scale flashing with destructive electricity.
Though it had no physical body, it was far more oppressive than any flesh-and-blood creature.
Those eyes, made of pure thunder, pierced through the heavy clouds at this moment, coldly and indifferently... locking onto him!
"Ta-da~ Congratulations on making it to the second stage!"
Just as he felt his soul trembling, a nonchalant, slightly playful voice drifted over from behind him.
"This technique is called 'Lightning Release: Kirin'!"
"How is it? Do you like it?"
Like hell I like your lightning!
At this moment, Magneto felt like he was going crazy.
This kind of massive roller coaster between life and death was simply too devastating of a blow for someone with his arrogant personality.
But this was only one part of Peter's mind games.
Peter dispersed the Chidori in his hand, crossed his arms, and looked at Magneto's face, which was filled with blankness and terror, with plenty of time to spare. The smirk on his face grew even more wicked:
"Speaking of which, being able to whip up such a big guy is really thanks to your white-haired little friend."
He pointed from afar at Storm, who had a completely bewildered look on her face.
"If she hadn't accumulated so much electrical charge earlier, it really wouldn't have been easy for me to summon this little baby~"
Chapter 388: Old Geezer, It's Your Turn
Holy crap!
Although Magneto knew Peter was saying this just to mess with his head,
when he heard those words, he still couldn't help but turn his head and cast a resentful glance at Storm.
That look seemed to say:
"There is a traitor among us!"
Roar!!!
At the exact moment he cast that glance, the Lightning Kirin in the clouds completely lost its patience.
It let out an earth-shaking roar!
Right after, its massive body of lightning dived down from the dark clouds, charging straight toward Magneto, who had already lost the ability to think!
The moment that giant claw made of thunder stepped onto Magneto,
heaven and earth changed color.
The magnetic barrier Magneto was so proud of, the metal Storm surrounding him, and even his helmet that could block telepathy, were as fragile as window paper before this lightning punishment, which represented the most violent power of nature.
Boom!!!
The delayed, thunderous boom made the very earth tremble.
The children at the academy couldn't help but cover their ears and close their eyes.
Only when the blinding light, which even eyelids couldn't block, completely dissipated did everyone dare to carefully open their eyes to a tiny slit.
"OMG~!"
Jubilee couldn't help but let out a cry of surprise.
Centered on the Kirin's landing point, a visible shockwave swept in all directions.
Countless towering trees that had just been grown were uprooted and turned into dust.
The solid earth was plowed open into a massive, charred crater dozens of meters deep and over a thousand meters in diameter.
Terrifying electrical arcs were still raging inside the crater even now, scorching all the soil at the bottom into a glass-like state.
In the center of the crater, only a human-shaped piece of charcoal remained, lying there with black smoke rising from his body, with only a final, faint breath left in him.
Seeing this, Professor X's legs went weak, and he almost fell to his knees.
"Eric!!!"
He let out a sorrowful cry, then rushed recklessly toward the crater, wanting to check on his dear friend who held such different beliefs.
Seeing this scene, Peter's eye twitched involuntarily, and he couldn't help but complain in his heart:
They really are torturing each other all the way to a battle.
"Don't worry, I deliberately left him with a breath. He won't die."
Considering that the Professor had been providing him with great food and drinks over the past few days, Peterultimately chose not to keep him on edge.
He didn't plan on killing Magneto in the first place.
As a transmigrator who had read the original work, although he couldn't say he liked the character of Magneto, he definitely didn't hate him either.
In the end, it was all just for survival.
If Peter himself were a Mutant, facing human discrimination, persecution, and hunts every day, he would only act even more decisively than Magneto.
After comforting the Professor, Peter tilted his head and turned his gaze to the top of the massive pyramid.
Sitting there was the final boss of this incident—Apocalypse, who had been watching coldly from the sidelines since the battle began.
Noticing Peter's gaze shifting over, a trace of emotion finally appeared on Apocalypse's eternally unchanging blue face.
He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but Petercut him off first:
"Oi~ old geezer, have you washed your neck?"
"Next, it's your turn."
Old geezer.
This modern-sounding, slightly frivolous and insulting title caused a visible ripple in Apocalypse's eyes, which were usually as deep as the Universe, for the very first time.
He, En Sabah Nur, the first Mutant in human history, an existence revered as a god by countless believers.
Since the day he was born in Ancient Egypt thousands of years ago, no human had ever dared to speak to him in such a tone.
And so, Apocalypse spoke:
"Human... your power doesn't seem to belong to this World."
"Oh?" Peter couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, not expecting this old fossil of Apocalypse to actually figure something out.
"Not bad eyes, old man. You actually saw through that?"
"Then why don't you guess what I'm here for?"
Apocalypse fell silent.
His calm, ripple-less eyes stared intently at Peter, as if trying to see right through him from the inside out.
He tried to analyze Peter's bodily structure and the source of his power, but the result was always a patch of chaos.
Peter's body seemed to be equipped with some sort of high-level shielding device; no matter how hard he tried, he could never read anything useful.
"It seems you can't guess it."
Peter shrugged, the smile on his face gradually fading, replaced by a look like he was viewing "experimental material."
"It's fine, I don't mind telling you."
"I came here for you."
"For me?" A hint of confusion crept into Apocalypse's voice.
"That's right." Peter snapped his fingers, then pointed to Professor X on the ground and said:
"I promised the young geezer over there that if I can't take you down within ten moves, it's my loss~"
Of course, besides that, there was another reason Peterhadn't told Professor X.
That was—he had also set his sights on Apocalypse's ability to modify Mutants.
Apocalypse's ability was something akin to unlocking genetic potential + living bio-modification.
He could amplify and perfect the gene chains of MutantDNA, producing an effect similar to evolution.
Listen to that, doesn't it sound familiar?
When Peter went to deal with Ego back then, wasn't it also for this kind of ability!
Now that he had run into Apocalypse, how could he miss the chance to fleece him?
Therefore, at this moment, Peter's Omnitrix had already been running in secret, stealthily copying Apocalypse's genes from a long time ago.
On the other side, Apocalypse couldn't help but daze upon hearing this.
After a moment of stun, he smiled, a very cold smile:
"Very well. In thousands of years, you are the first one who dares to speak to me like this!"
"Seeing that you have some ability, I originally thought about making an exception to promote you to be the leader of my Horsemen."
"But now it seems you don't have that good fortune!"
"Want to take me down in ten moves? I'd like to see just how many moves of mine you can take!"
As he spoke, an unprecedented, majestic energy violently erupted from his body!
Boom!!!
Wherever the terrifying energy wave passed, the Deep Forest Emergence that Peter had previously created was instantly destroyed.
Yellow sand once again raged across the battlefield.
But when that shockwave hit Peter, it didn't cause him the slightest bit of damage.
Peter stood in place as if nothing had happened, his face even wearing an unsatisfied expression:
"No way, old geezer, is this all you've got?"
Seeing that this human actually dared to "humiliate" him, anger flashed in Apocalypse's eyes.
"You... deserve to die!!!"
He opened his arms, and the entire pyramid he had personally created, along with all matter within a radius of several kilometers—sand, rocks, metal debris—began to rapidly decompose and reorganize under his will!
In the blink of an eye, a giant stone golem over a hundred meters tall, haphazardly pieced together from various materials, rose from the ground!
Apocalypse himself stood on top of the stone giant's head, like a god piloting an apocalyptic mecha.
"Witness... the wrath of a god!"
As he spoke, the massive stone giant raised a fist comparable to a mountain peak and smashed it down fiercely toward Peter in mid-air, with a whistling sound loud enough to tear the atmosphere!
Chapter 389: It's Just a Single Slash~
The massive stone fist, carrying a World-destroying momentum, smashed down directly at Peter.
The shadow enveloped the entire Xavier Institute, causing the young Mutant students to let out screams of despair.
However, Peter, standing in the center of the storm, didn't even twitch an eyebrow.
He even had the leisure to pick his ear.
"I say... can you villains have some originality?"
Peter's voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears, carrying a lazy tone as if he were watching a boring circus show.
"Other than growing bigger, can't you think of any other way to show off? It's really unoriginal."
The moment he finished speaking, Peter's originally pitch-black eyes suddenly turned crimson.
Three pitch-black tomoe spun rapidly in his blood-red pupils, finally connecting into a bizarre hexagram pattern.
Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan!
Buzz~!
In the next second, an indescribable, chilly aura erupted violently with Peter at the center.
Blue-purple energy soared into the sky, rapidly outlining bones, meridians, and flesh behind him, finally transforming into a towering giant clad in Mingguang armor, with a pair of massive wings unfurled on its back!
Perfect Susanoo!
The moment this Chakra giant appeared, its towering, heaven-supporting posture completely overshadowed Apocalypse's giant pieced together from sand and stone.
The crude stone giant in front of it was like an underdeveloped sand soldier.
Peter had originally planned to layer Susanoo over the Buddha.
But on second thought, he abandoned the idea.
Mainly because the Susanoo Buddha's Thousand Hands was too misleading. If someone claimed that wasn't a single move but rather a hundred moves executed at once, wouldn't his previous statement of 'if you don't die in ten moves, consider it my loss' slap him in the face?
"Although it's only Susanoo, it should be more than enough for trash of this level..."
Although he was murmuring to himself, he didn't control his volume.
Those words, filled with extreme contempt for the enemy before him, caused an emotion called 'fury' to surface on Apocalypse's eternally unchanging face.
What arrogance!
I have lived for thousands of years, and I have never seen anyone so arrogant!
Peter: Well, you see one today!
Cough, back to the main topic.
Since he had already decided to take down Apocalypsewithin ten moves, Peter naturally wouldn't use Susanoo to engage in 'philosophy' with Apocalypse.
So, with a thought, the Susanoo beneath him immediately made a move.
Clang!
A clear and resonant ring of a blade echoed through the clouds.
The Susanoo giant slowly drew the tachi made of pure Chakra from its waist.
The blade, over a hundred meters long, could almost span the sky.
Following that, an even more unbelievable scene occurred.
"Chirp chirp chirp!"
Dazzling lightning, like countless silver snakes, scrambled to climb up the massive blade.
The terrifying electrical energy let out a sharp shriek, as if hundreds of millions of birds were chirping in unison.
But this was only the beginning.
As the crimson Mangekyo in Peter's eyes spun, a wisp of deep, ominous black flame that seemed capable of swallowing all light also wound its way up, intertwining with the violent lightning.
Lightning and Fire, destruction and omen—two completely different forces coexisted on the blade in a bizarre harmony at this moment.
It was precisely the 'Takemikazuchi' that Sasuke used against Naruto at the Valley of the End in the original Hokage work!
It was just that Sasuke back then condensed this move with his own hand.
But Peter now chose to apply this move to the Susanoo's great sword.
"Hmm... it seems to be missing something."
Peter still ignored the falling giant fist of yellow sand, merely stroking his chin at his leisure, as if examining an unfinished piece of art.
After thinking for a moment, he decided to 'add some more ingredients' to it.
An invisible Impact capable of shattering space, like a transparent coating, covered the blade where lightning and Fire intertwined.
It was precisely the Six Powers Secret Technique: Rokuogan, which hadn't been used for a long time.
After doing all this, he still felt it wasn't powerful enough.
Therefore, another powerful force was forcibly poured into the core of the blade by him.
The edge of the blade turned pitch-black to the naked eye, yet under the influence of Amaterasu, no anomaly could be seen.
Armament Haki: Internal Destruction!
When all the 'enchantments' were completed, that Chakratachi had already transformed into a veritable 'Blade of Rules'.
It floated there quietly. Clearly, it didn't emit any shocking energy fluctuations, yet it made Professor X and others miles away feel a terror that made their very souls tremble.
It was as if with just a glance from that blade, one's existence would be completely erased from this World.
"Alright, this should be about enough."
Peter nodded in satisfaction, no longer hesitating.
Controlling the Susanoo giant, he raised high that ultimate weapon which condensed several destructive forces, and lightly swung it down at the yellow sand giant opposite him, as well as Apocalypse atop the giant's head!
This single slash, capable of cutting through cause and effect, finally dragged Apocalypse back to reality from his arrogant fantasy of comparing himself to a god.
For the first time in a long while, he felt what fear was.
He realized that in front of Peter, his self-proclaimed godlike tricks might really be useless against the opponent.
But he knew one thing even better: he could not retreat.
Dodging would only make him lose even harder!
At this thought, Apocalypse clenched his teeth so hard they rattled.
At the same time, he pushed his ability to manipulate matter to the limit. Every grain of sand in that hundred-meter-tall sand and stone giant began to vibrate and compress at high speed!
He attempted to dispel Peter's offensive in this manner.
Thinking he was fully prepared, Apocalypse finally controlled the yellow sand giant beneath his feet to collide with the Susanoo giant created by Peter.
Boom!!!
Blade and fist collided fiercely in mid-air.
However, the anticipated earth-shattering explosion did not occur.
The moment the blade slashed onto the fist, the entire World fell into a bizarre silence.
Time, space, and absolutely everything seemed to have a pause button pressed.
The two stood in a stalemate just like that. The sand and stone giant's fist firmly resisted the blade, lightning and Fire flashing wildly on the surface of the fist, yet neither seemed able to do anything to the other.
Seeing this, Apocalypse's heart, which had almost leaped into his throat, finally settled back into place.
A hideous smile of surviving a disaster even surfaced uncontrollably on his face.
He blocked it!
In the end, he still blocked it!
A mere human, no matter how bizarre the power they mastered, how could they contend with a true god...
Before this thought could fully form in his mind,
In the next second, a sudden change occurred!
Without any warning,
the sand and stone giant, which Apocalypse had exerted all his strength to compress to its ultimate density, abruptly exploded—from the inside!
It wasn't the kind of collapse where cracks appeared and then crumbled inch by inch.
But with a 'boom', it directly exploded into hundreds of millions of sand particles!
Chapter 390: His Butt is on the Tree
The sand giant's body instantly exploded into countless fragments.
Each fragment carried the terrifying force of 'Internal Destruction,' shooting out in all directions at speeds and with destructive power comparable to an electromagnetic railgun!
Pfft! Pfft! Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!
The ground was bombarded into a dense cluster of deep craters, as if it had been baptized by a blanket of meteor showers.
Many of the fragments were even flying toward the students of the academy.
Beast Hank tried to transform into his Beast form, attempting to knock the fragments away.
But the moment his fist made contact with a fragment, a sharp crack rang out.
His fist—one that could easily smash tank armor flat—was pierced straight through by this unremarkable fragment.
The flesh and bone inside were blasted to pieces.
You've got to be kidding me.
Falling to the ground, Beast clutched his arm, his mind in an uncontrollable state of turmoil.
If just a single fragment possessed such astonishing power, how terrifying must the slash Peter delivered be?
And what about Apocalypse? What would be the fate of Apocalypse, who had faced that 'Blade of Rules' head-on after the giant exploded?
Everyone widened their eyes at this moment, staring into the dust-filled battlefield, anticipating the outcome of that slash.
Sshhh~
With the completion of this slash,
that World-destroying Susanoo Blade and the towering Chakra giant slowly dissipated into the air.
Peter's figure reappeared in midair. He patted the non-existent dust off his hands, as if he had only done something trivial.
A dead silence fell over the lawn of Xavier Institute.
Everyone's eyes were fixed on the center of the dust-shrouded battlefield, their hearts almost stopping.
Was it over?
The monster who called himself a god and brought doom and despair... was he just defeated with a single slash like that?
"Cough, cough..."
Beast Hank coughed repeatedly from the dust, waving his massive, fan-like hands to clear the sand and dust before him. His eyes were wide as saucers, trying to see the final result.
The wind finally blew away the mist.
When the scene at the center of the battlefield came clearly into everyone's view, a chorus of sharp gasps echoed one after another.
At the spot where Apocalypse had stood, there was now only a massive, bottomless slash mark.
And Apocalypse himself...
...the situation was somewhat comical.
The silver-blue armor on his body—which in the original movie couldn't be budged even by the combined strength of all the X-Men and Magneto—was now completely gone.
Not even a trace of its existence could be found, as if it were more fragile than the thinnest contraceptive product on the market.
As for Apocalypse's actual body, his fate was even more wretched.
His body had been cleanly sliced in two.
His upper half lay face down at the edge of the deep slash mark, motionless, his life or death unknown.
As for his lower half... two legs attached to a butt, hanging all alone on a branch not far away that had been sheared in half by the shockwave, swaying gently in the breeze.
"Pfft~"
"Hahaha!"
Seeing this highly visually striking scene, Jubilee, having just escaped death, could no longer hold it in and was the first to burst into laughter.
Then, as if it were contagious, the other Mutant youths also burst into roaring laughter. For a moment, the entire academy was filled with a joyful atmosphere.
The previous apocalyptic oppression and fear vanished without a trace at this moment.
Looking at Peter in midair, who had one hand in his pocket with a 'just a basic operation, don't get excited' expression, their eyes held nothing but fanatical adoration.
This... what kind of monumental power was this!
Even a legendary god could be chopped in half like firewood and hung on a tree like cured meat!
This was no longer just being powerful; this was utterly ridiculous!
Even the usually steady Professor X couldn't help but let the corners of his mouth twitch upward. If he hadn't been mindful of his status as the Dean, he probably would have laughed out loud as well.
However, just when everyone thought the battle was settled and was preparing to pop the champagne, an unexpected event occurred.
A roar filled with endless humiliation and fury suddenly exploded from that severed half of the body!
"What an absolute humiliation!!!"
Apocalypse's upper half, lying on the ground, suddenly snapped its head up. His blue face was covered in hideous cracks, and a fire capable of burning the heavens raged in his eyes.
"For thousands of years! Since I was born into this World, no one has ever driven me into such a pathetic state!"
"Human... I want you dead!!!"
Along with this venomous roar, an unprecedented, extremely bizarre energy suddenly erupted from his broken body!
It was not the majestic power of manipulating matter from before, nor was it a pure energy blast.
Instead, it was an intangible, formless, deep blue beam of light that seemed to contain some kind of cosmic truth!
The moment this beam appeared, it ignored spatial distance, instantly crossing thousands of meters at near-light speed to strike Peter in midair!
It was so fast that even Peter didn't have time to make any reaction.
Or rather, he hadn't even thought of reacting.
The moment he was hit by that deep blue beam, the relaxed and casual expression on Peter's face suddenly froze.
His eyes rapidly became hollow and vacant at a speed visible to the naked eye.
His entire body was like a puppet with its soul sucked out, suspending rigidly in midair, motionless.
"Oh no!"
The smile on Professor X's face instantly froze, replaced by an unprecedented look of horror.
As the top telepath in the World, no one knew better than he what that beam Apocalypse had just released actually was!
It was a spiritual attack pure to the extreme! It was an indestructible blade formed by highly condensing one's own will and mental power, specifically designed to destroy the enemy's soul and consciousness!
He subconsciously thought that Peter had been overconfident, crushing Apocalypse in physical strength but neglecting his mental defense, allowing Apocalypse to seize his only weakness and land a successful strike!
"Quick! Stop him!"
Charles shouted to the students around him, almost losing his voice.
"We must interrupt the mental shock he is inflicting on Peter! Apocalypse is invading his consciousness! If Peter is controlled, or... if his consciousness is destroyed, we are all finished!"
Hearing this, everyone who had been immersed in the joy of victory just a moment ago felt as if they were struck by lightning, their faces instantly turning pale.
They did not doubt the Professor's judgment in the slightest.
Just thinking of Peter's incomprehensibly terrifying power being controlled by Apocalypse and turned against them... the mere thought of that image was enough to make their blood run cold!
"Do it!"
Beast Hank was the first to react. Letting out a roar, he scrambled on all fours like a blue panther, charging frantically toward the rapidly self-healing Apocalypse.
Cyclops, Jubilee, Storm... all the remaining active members of the X-Men also poured their strongest attacks toward Apocalypse without a second thought!
A barrage of multi-colored energy beams, mixed with wild winds and hail, bombarded the body that had only a half left.
However, a despair-inducing scene occurred.
A translucent energy shield emerged on Apocalypse's body, easily blocking all the attacks outside without causing even a ripple.
What was even more suffocating was that his severed body was healing at a speed visible to the naked eye! His lower half, still hanging on the tree, also turned into a puddle of quicksand, quickly rushing to merge back with his upper half!
Chapter 391: The Oriole Waits Behind
Watching Apocalypse's condition visibly improve was alarming.
A sense of despair spread rapidly through everyone's hearts like a plague.
They were facing a monster that was recovering at an unbelievable speed and possessed maxed-out defenses.
Yet their only hope, the man who could cleave a god in two with a single slash, was currently hanging in mid-air like a puppet with severed strings, his life or death unknown.
"Ha... Hahahaha!"
Apocalypse's laughter came from his writhing half-body; it was raspy, yet filled with the manic joy and spite of one who had narrowly escaped death.
His lower body, which had been hanging on the tree, had turned into quicksand and flowed over, merging completely with his upper body.
"mortals, your greatest mistake was thinking that physical strength represents everything!"
While repairing himself, Apocalypse used telepathy to force his malicious voice directly into the minds of everyone present.
"The mental realm is the true coliseum of gods! Now, this perfect shell, along with those unknown powers, shall all belong to me!"
His words struck everyone's hearts like heavy hammers.
Professor Charles's face was as pale as paper.
What would it mean if Apocalypse succeeded in possessing Peter's body?
An unsolvable monster possessing Peter's terrifying power, while also having Apocalypse's cunning mind and mental abilities...
Without a doubt, he would become the World's nightmare, and no one would be able to stop him again!
"Jean!"
In this desperate situation, Charles used almost all his strength to roar at the red-haired girl who was slumped on the ground, her face full of terror.
"Release it! Jean! Release that power deep within your heart, the one that even I fear! Now, only you can stop him!"
Jean Grey shuddered, her azure eyes filled with confusion and fear.
She knew what the Professor was talking about.
That power was her lifelong nightmare.
It was powerful and scorching, yet also filled with the desire for destruction.
Every time she lost control, it brought about irreversible disasters.
"I... I can't... I will destroy this place..."
Jean's voice trembled, and tears fell uncontrollably.
"No! Trust me, and trust yourself!" Charles's voice carried an unquestionable resolve.
"You must also trust Peter! He shielded you from the World's malice, and now, it is your turn to light the way home for him!"
Light the way home... for him?
In Jean's mind, she uncontrollably flashed back to that man pinning her against the wall, his handsome face wearing that slightly annoying grin, and his words, "What are you expecting?"
That's right, even though that guy was a terrible person.
He had protected them all in their most critical moment.
Now that he was trapped in a desperate situation, only she could possibly save him!
Thinking of this, the confusion and fear in Jean's eyes gradually faded, replaced by an unprecedented determination.
Boom!!!
In an instant, a burst of immense energy, impossible to describe in words, erupted from her petite body!
Jean Grey's fair face flushed red, and the veins on her forehead bulged as if she were enduring unimaginable pain.
An aura, so scorching that it seemed capable of igniting the air, slowly spilled out from within her.
"Ah!!!"
Finally, a scream erupted from the depths of Jean Grey's throat.
It was a cry mixed with endless majesty and ancient vicissitudes, as if a cosmic divine bird that had slumbered for billions of years was awakening at this moment!
Boom!
Golden-red flames soared into the sky!
That was not ordinary fire, but the primordial power of the Universe composed of the purest life and emotion!
Amidst the rising flames, a colossal phantom of a firebird was vaguely outlined. It spread wings that could cover the firmament, using eyes composed of stars to coldly overlook the entire World.
Phoenix Force!
In the face of this power, all things in heaven and Earthappeared insignificant.
The air was burning, and space was twisting.
The entire Xavier Institute was now shrouded in a golden-red apocalyptic scene.
"What... what is this power?"
Apocalypse, who was fully focused on maintaining his shield to block the X-Men's attacks and attempting to completely format Peter's consciousness, suddenly turned his head.
When he saw that cosmic firebird spanning the sky, a look of fear could not help but appear on his rapidly healing blue face.
As the most ancient Mutant on Earth, he had witnessed the rise and fall of countless civilizations and had plundered the abilities of countless Mutants; he considered himself a god, the ultimate point of evolution.
But the power before him completely exceeded his cognitive scope.
It was even more exaggerated than the power Peter had displayed earlier!
It was a higher-dimensional existence that transcended genes, transcended matter, and transcended all the laws he could understand!
Under the gaze of that firebird, he felt as small as a speck of dust.
The next second, the Phoenix's cry turned into a tangible shockwave that struck Apocalypse.
Apocalypse's energy shield, which he was so proud of—the barrier that had blocked all the X-Men's firepower—was as fragile as thin paper in the face of this power, instantly torn to shreds.
The golden-red flames then swept over him.
"No—!"
Apocalypse let out the most terrified roar of his life.
He frantically drove his self-healing ability, attempting to resist the erosion of the flames.
However, his regeneration speed seemed so ridiculous in the face of the Phoenix flames, which could erase existence at the root.
His flesh, his bones, and his proud, near-immortal self-healing genes were rapidly decomposed in the flames, turning into the most primitive particles and returning to nothingness.
He was not being killed.
He was being "deleted."
Seeing this shocking scene, everyone at the Xavier Institutecouldn't help but open their mouths wide.
When their attention was focused on the Phoenix Force, no one noticed.
Peter, who was suspended in mid-air and should have been under mental control, had an unprecedented, blazing light blooming in his eyes.
Apocalypse's meager mental power had been eliminated the moment he invaded by the Horse Talisman hidden deep within Peter's soul.
That previous sluggish performance was merely acting.
It was performed both for Apocalypse and for the "little red bird" inside Jean Grey.
After all, if you want the fish to take the bait voluntarily, you have to use some decent bait, right?
Now it seems, the effect was outstanding.
And look at that,
just when everyone thought Apocalypse would be reduced to ashes in the Phoenix flames, a sudden change occurred!
A figure, at a speed completely impossible for the naked eye to capture, instantly appeared between the Phoenix's stream of light and Apocalypse.
It was Peter!
While still in mid-air, he had already reached out to grab Apocalypse, allowing the scorching flames on Apocalypse's body to be guided onto his own body without reservation!
Chapter 392: Came to My Turf and Still Want to Run?
"No!"
Professor Charles let out a shriek of sheer terror.
In their eyes, Peter's actions were no different than a moth flying into a flame. No matter how they looked at it, he seemed like a loyal dog who, having been controlled by Apocalypse, had voluntarily taken a fatal blow for his Master!
Could it be... has Peter already been completely controlled by Apocalypse?
It wasn't just them; even Apocalypse was stunned. He had never expected that his unintended psychic attack would actually have such a miraculous effect.
This kid looks pretty tough, but his brain actually doesn't work that well?
However, the next second, the astonishment on his face turned into complete stupefaction.
The scene he had envisioned, of Peter being burned to ash by the Phoenix Force, did not occur.
That flame of creation, capable of incinerating a Planet, not only failed to cause any harm the moment it touched Peter's body, but instead, like a long-lost relative, it rushed into his body as if it were a fledgling bird returning to the forest!
There was no explosion, no impact.
The entire process was incredibly smooth.
At the same time, Peter felt so comfortable he almost groaned out loud.
The feeling was like drinking an ice-cold soda on the hottest day of summer; every pore from head to toe seemed to open up.
In a word, awesome!
However, this sense of "awesome" didn't last long.
The Phoenix Force, after all, was one of the top-tier powers in the Universe, and it possessed its own will.
Upon realizing it had entered the wrong "room," this power instantly went berserk!
A will originating from the primordial Universe, filled with destruction, tyranny, and chaos, exploded within Peter's sea of consciousness.
It attempted to tear Peter's soul into shreds, completely erase his will, and turn him into a slave to the Phoenix Force that only knew how to follow instincts!
"Mere mortal, how dare you touch the power of a god! Turn to ash!"
The grand and cold voice echoed directly in the depths of Peter's soul.
To this, Peter's reaction was just a disdainful curl of his lip.
"Heh, your body is tiny, but you talk big?"
"You came to my turf and still want to run wild?"
"Do you really think your Grandpa Horse and GrandpaTiger are pushovers?"
As he spoke, Peter moved his mind.
Two different lights instantly lit up in his left and right hands.
One was a soft white light representing the power of healing, and the other was a delicate gray.
The Horse Talisman! The Tiger Talisman!
The Phoenix Force rampaged through Peter's body, continuously burning his meridians and destroying his cells.
But almost the very instant the damage appeared, the power of the Horse Talisman was activated.
The soft white light was like a spring breeze bringing rain; wherever it passed, all damage was instantly restored to its original state, becoming even more resilient than before.
As fast as the Phoenix Force burned, the Horse Talismanhealed just as quickly!
If the Horse Talisman solved things on a "physical level," then the Tiger Talisman targeted the "philosophical level."
The will of the Phoenix Force was, in essence, an extreme collection of emotions.
When it leaned toward the light, it was creation and rebirth; when it leaned toward the darkness, it was destruction and ending.
What was inside Peter at this moment was clearly the latter, the Dark Phoenix Force.
Under normal circumstances, there was no power that could influence this will.
But the Tiger Talisman was different; its ability was "balance."
When the gray light enveloped that violent will, it was like dropping a drop of magical purifying agent into a glass of murky water.
Those tyrannical, chaotic, and dark emotions were forcibly stripped away and neutralized.
Meanwhile, those wills of rebirth, protection, and kindness were amplified and highlighted.
One Yin and one Yang, one good and one evil—under the coercive power of the Tiger Talisman, they reached a perfect balance point.
In the end, that grand and chaotic will was completely "formatted," turning into a pure "energy source code" devoid of any emotional color, quietly waiting for its new Master to write to it.
Outside.
The group from the Xavier Institute only saw that after Peter absorbed that terrifying flame, his whole body erupted with a blinding golden light.
He seemed to have transformed into a small Sun, making it impossible to look directly at him.
This light came quickly and went just as quickly.
When the light dissipated, Peter's figure reappeared.
He was still hovering in mid-air, one hand in his pocket, his expression relaxed, as if he had just had a nice afternoon tea.
It was just that his originally pitch-black eyes had now transformed into molten lava flowing with golden flames.
At the corner of his eyes, there was even a faint, flickering golden-red Phoenix totem.
The group from the institute looked at Peter, who was frozen in mid-air, both surprised that Peter hadn't died and worried that he might truly be controlled by Apocalypse.
If Peter were controlled by Apocalypse, the situation would be terrible.
"Peter! Wake up! Don't let him control you!"
Professor Charles's voice was hoarse.
He drove his wheelchair, wanting to go forward, but was blocked by the invisible pressure, his face full of anxiety and regret.
"Mr. Peter! Wake up! How could you lose to that blue-skinned monster!"
Jubilee mustered up the greatest courage of her life, shouting loudly at the sky, her little face flushed red, her eyes filled with moisture.
In their view, Peter's current calmness was a sign that he had been completely controlled by Apocalypse.
Hearing the little girl's shout, Peter suddenly lowered his head and playfully winked his left eye in her direction.
That look had no sign of being controlled at all; it was clearly filled with the smugness of "basic operation, don't be surprised, sit down and watch the show."
Jubilee was stunned.
The others were also stunned.
Apocalypse was even more stunned.
He felt his brain wasn't working well at the moment.
This script wasn't right!
Wasn't the opponent controlled by his psychic power? Why was he still winking here?
Just as he was thinking this,
"Who said I was controlled by this guy?"
Peter's voice drifted over, clearly ringing in everyone's ears.
"I said, I'd finish him off within ten moves."
Before he finished speaking, he slowly raised his right hand, aimed it at the bewildered Apocalypse, and gently snapped his fingers.
Snap.
The crisp sound seemed exceptionally abrupt on the dead-silent battlefield.
The next second.
A wisp of golden-red flame ignited on Apocalypse's body without warning.
This flame didn't look intense; it was even somewhat gentle, like a ray of warm sunlight in winter.
Apocalypse didn't even feel any pain.
He lowered his head, looking at the tiny flame on his body, a look of extreme confusion appearing on his face.
Is this the ultimate move you used after absorbing the Phoenix Force?
Just this?
You can't even burn through my skin; are you scratching my back?
This thought was the last one he left in this World.
Because the next instant, his body, from inside to out, from soul to genes, was completely decomposed into the most primitive particles within that gentle flame.
There were no screams, no explosions, no struggle.
A gentle breeze blew by.
This Mutant, who called himself a god, had lived for thousands of years, and had stirred up endless storms—the first Mutant in history—just like that... drifted away with the wind.
Not even a trace of his existence remained.
Chapter 393: A Little Bird's Puff
Because Apocalypse's disappearance was so sudden and so simple, everyone present remained unable to snap out of their shock for a long time.
Beast Hank had his mouth wide open, his large face covered in blue fur filled with bewilderment.
Cyclops subconsciously adjusted his glasses, seemingly wanting to confirm if he was seeing things.
That extreme "God" who had lived for thousands of years, determined to overthrow human rule and have Mutants enslave Earth, had just... disappeared like that?
Professor X still maintained a posture of "embracing ten thousand kills."
His lips moved slightly, clearly wanting to say something, but when the words reached his lips, he didn't know what to say.
Facing Peter, who was floating in mid-air, only pure awe remained in his heart.
Just as everyone was gradually recovering from the shock, wondering if this crisis had truly been resolved, a new anomaly occurred on the scene.
"Skreeee~!!!"
Jean Grey suddenly let out a sharp phoenix cry!
Her entire body was lifted slowly into the air by a surge of golden-red energy; beneath her fair skin, it seemed as if magma was flowing, outlining countless eerie golden patterns.
She looked exactly like—a second Peter!
That's right!
The Phoenix Force within her had gone berserk!
Because it discovered that the portion of power it had just released to "delete" Apocalypse had not only failed to return to its body, but had completely vanished.
This was something that had never happened in the billions of years it had existed in this world!
This sense of unease and threat to its own safety made her decide without a second thought to directly "delete" the source of that unknown risk—Peter Parker!
Boom!
With a flick of Jean's hand, a ball of golden-red flames, even more violent and intense than when it incinerated Apocalypse, transformed into a stream of light capable of piercing heaven and Earth, and struck toward Peter!
"Jean! Calm down!"
Professor X couldn't help but shout, trying to get the berserk Jean to calm down.
But at this moment, the Phoenix Force had already completely taken over Jean's body; how could it possibly stop just because of a human's call?
Watching Peter get hit by that golden-red energy, a terrible thought simultaneously emerged in everyone's minds:
It's over.
Although Peter had successfully absorbed the flames that landed on Apocalypse earlier.
But the flames Jean released this time were simply not on the same level as the ones used to deal with Apocalypseearlier!
No matter how strong Peter was, he probably couldn't withstand this power capable of destroying the world!
After Peter dies, will Jean calm down?
If not... who will be her next target?
Thinking of this, Professor X didn't even have time to mourn Peter's "death," but instead, taking advantage of this moment, decisively looked at two people in the crowd and said:
"Nightcrawler and Quicksilver, I'm counting on you. As many as possible! Take the children away!"
As he spoke, he stood up slowly and firmly, determined to use his own power to stall for as long as possible after Peter died.
Beast, Impact, Mystique, and the others, seeing Professormake such a choice, said nothing, but silently stood behind the Professor.
If their deaths could buy the children's lives, then their deaths would be meaningful.
After all, the future belongs to them!
Just as the atmosphere at the scene was solemn to the extreme because of the X-Men's choice, a lazy and indifferent voice quietly sounded:
"What are you all standing there for? Cosplaying as Gold Saints?"
Hearing this voice, Professor X and the others were stunned at first, then looked up in disbelief.
They realized that Peter had actually been standing there, completely unscathed, from start to finish!
Even the action of his hands in his pockets hadn't changed at all!
And those world-destroying powers, the moment they touched Peter's body, were silently absorbed, just like water dripping into a sponge.
When the light and flames dissipated, Peter was still hovering in place; not to mention his clothes being dirty, even his hairstyle hadn't been messed up in the slightest.
He even... stuck out his tongue and licked his lips, as if savoring something.
A moment later, he cast his gaze toward Jean Greyopposite him, who was completely controlled by the Phoenix Force, a playful smile appearing on his face:
"A little bird's puff?"
"Interesting!"
Peter naturally had reason to be so calm.
The Phoenix Force hitting Apocalypse was definitely true damage, capable of ignoring Apocalypse's healing factor and directly reducing him to subatomic ash.
But hitting him, the nature of it completely changed.
Because he already had Jean Grey's Mutant genes within him, which was equivalent to having the qualifications to host the Phoenix Force.
Coupled with the Phoenix Force previously absorbed from Apocalypse acting as a seed, and the unreasonable buffs of the Tiger Talisman and Horse Talisman.
It was equivalent to building a bird's nest in his body that was even more comfortable than Jean Grey's.
The Phoenix Force had originally intended to rush in and wreak havoc, but upon entering and seeing this five-star suite, it didn't want to leave.
So, what hit Peter wasn't true damage at all, not even magic damage.
It was pure healing; it was basically healing while attacking!
The Phoenix Force obviously didn't understand Peter's mockery.
Because the energy it sent out received no feedback, it was now facing a formidable enemy, yet it didn't dare to strike rashly.
Seeing this behavior, Peter couldn't help but find it somewhat amusing.
He had originally wanted to play with this "little red bird" a while longer, for example, switching to Celestial Energy to clash with the Phoenix Force.
Or perhaps use the unquenchable Amaterasu to test if the Phoenix Fire could burn it away.
But just as he was preparing to make a move, his peripheral vision suddenly caught something unusual.
The row of avatars in the bottom left corner of his field of vision suddenly began to flash violently!
This was... the teleportation option for Stand United!
Although the health bars hadn't changed yet, the flashing avatars indicated that his teammates were currently facing great danger!
More accurately—Earth was in trouble!
And the source of this danger was self-evident—Thanos!
In an instant, the playful expression on Peter's face disappeared without a trace.
An icy, bone-chilling killing intent permeated from him.
That was not just the pure mental intimidation of Conqueror's Haki, but the most pure killing intent that had settled after defeating countless powerhouses.
The X-Men, who a second ago felt like they were about to be roasted, now suddenly felt like they had fallen into an ice cave, as if their souls were about to be completely frozen.
They looked up in terror, only to discover that Peter in the air had somehow wiped the relaxed smile from his face:
"I actually wanted to play with you a little longer."
Peter's voice was very soft, yet it clearly reached the ears of everyone present, the voice revealing a coldness that seemed to come from the nine nether hells:
"But something happened back home, so I can't waste any more time here."
"So, please be sensible and enter my body on your own. Don't waste my time."
Chapter 394: Earth, in Danger
The moment his words fell, his figure had already vanished from the spot.
When he reappeared, he had already flashed in front of Jean Grey.
The speed was so fast that even Quicksilver would call it professional.
Before Jean, controlled by the Phoenix Force, could even react, his finger had already tapped her smooth forehead.
"Staying in her body will only cause her suffering anyway. It might as well come to me, and let me show you what true combat satisfaction feels like."
Hum!
As his finger tapped, a completely different power surged from his fingertip.
One part was the Phoenix Force he had already absorbed and assimilated within his body, and the other part was the gray light of the Tiger Talisman, representing "balance."
The former communicated with the Phoenix Force inside Jean, sending a party invitation to this power.
The latter was responsible for strengthening Jean's own spirit, allowing Jean, the landlord, to actively drive the Phoenix Force out of her body.
Sensing the changes occurring within Jean, the Phoenix Force initially resisted violently, attempting to make this mortal who dared to "capture" it, as well as Jean who refused to obediently act as its tool, suffer.
But before it could start rampaging, streams of peculiar information were transmitted back into its core will, following Peter's power.
These were scenes of Peter clashing with various powerful enemies to protect Earth.
In this process, the Phoenix Force saw destruction, and it also saw rebirth.
It saw the heavy responsibilities Peter shouldered beneath his seemingly cynical exterior, as well as his firm determination to protect everything.
As the embodiment of the balance between good and evil in the Universe, its mission was to create rebirth within destruction and to find beginnings within endings.
Jean Grey was an excellent host; she was kind and compassionate, which is why she was chosen as a host by the Phoenix Force.
The Phoenix Force had thought it would never encounter a more suitable host than Jean.
But now, it had met Peter.
The more it read Peter's memories, the more it realized that this man was practically born to execute the mission of the Phoenix Force!
He self-proclaimed as The Arbiter, yet he never actively infringed upon anyone, while simultaneously delivering heavy blows to those who intended to disrupt the balance at critical moments.
It could be said that he himself had always been playing the role of a "balancer."
Furthermore, he was powerful enough—powerful enough to perfectly control his own strength, so that he would not lose himself just because its power was attached to him.
This host seemed... more "qualified" than Jean Grey!
Once this thought arose, it could no longer be suppressed.
That will, which had originally been resisting wildly, gradually calmed down.
It stopped struggling and instead actively released its control over Jean Grey's body, beginning to "migrate" its essence from within Jean's body into Peter's body, bit by bit, along the "conduit" Peter had built using the Tiger Talisman and the Phoenix Force.
However, before leaving, it still left something behind.
A wisp of the purest spark of life and spirit remained deeply buried within the depths of Jean Grey's genes.
The balance of this Universe also needed to be maintained.
After it finished helping Peter with the work in that Universe, one day, it would return to Jean's body.
...
About two minutes later, the last wisp of golden-red light submerged from Jean Grey's forehead into Peter's fingertip.
With this, the World became completely quiet.
The massive phantom of the firebird suspended in mid-air gradually faded into Peter's body.
The oppressive feeling that made everyone feel palpitations also vanished.
Jean Grey fell downward like a puppet with cut strings, her previously blank eyes gently closing at some unknown moment.
Peter waved his hand casually, and a gentle telekinetic force caught Jean, placing her steadily on the lawn.
After settling Jean, he subconsciously clenched his fist.
During the process, he could clearly feel an unprecedented, massive power flowing through his limbs and bones.
It was a sense of omnipotence, as if he could control everything.
He even had an illusion that with just a single thought, he could return this Planet to chaos, or restore this land, ravaged by battle and left in ruins, to its original state instantly.
This was the complete Phoenix Force.
Although this power was currently just residing in his body and required the Tiger Talisman to "translate" and "balance" it for perfect use, there was no doubt that he had become the new Master of this power.
So... it was time to leave!
With this thought, Peter activated Stand United, and a strange purple magic circle appeared on his body.
"Everyone, some unexpected situations have arisen in the Universe I am from, so I can't stay here to continue my vacation."
"But perhaps after things over there are finished, I will come back to play with you all... so, goodbye~"
"Oh, right, I almost forgot one thing."
As he spoke, Peter's figure flashed within the magic circle, appearing instantly on the messy lawn.
During this process, his fingers quickly brushed over Magneto, Wolverine, and Beast Hank, who had a broken arm, and finally pressed lightly onto the chaotic ruins.
"Consider this the rent for my stay at the academy during this time!"
The moment his words fell, the light of the magic circle grew increasingly intense, stinging everyone into subconsciously covering their eyes.
When the light dissipated, Peter's figure had also vanished into the air.
Replacing him were Magneto, Wolverine, Beast, and others, their injuries restored to their original state.
The academy, which had previously been left with only broken walls and ruins, was now presented before everyone, completely undamaged.
The scene was so quiet... as if everything that had happened before was just a dream for everyone.
...
So, during the time Peter was collecting the Phoenix Forcein the X-Men Universe, what exactly happened on his Earth?
The story must begin with Ebony Maw returning calmly to Titan with the Reality Stone.
When Thanos embedded that gem emitting a scarlet glow onto his golden Infinity Gauntlet, he felt an unprecedented power.
Reality, Mind, Power.
Three Infinity Stones in hand.
He only needed to find the remaining three stones—in fact, he didn't even need to expend effort searching for them.
According to known intelligence, the Space Stone and the Power Stone were both inextricably linked to that Earthling named Peter Parker.
And the Time Stone had been in the hands of a certain magician on Earth from the very beginning.
In other words, as long as he conquered Earth, he could collect all six Infinity Stones and snap his fingers as he had dreamed of!
Originally, he had planned to endure for a while longer, at least until he outlived that one-eyed old man from Asgard, before considering an invasion of Earth.
But just as he was waiting for this opportunity, his Planetwelcomed two strange guests.
One of them had a withered figure, skin as pale as a mummified corpse, yet his eyes burned with paranoid and insane golden flames.
He called himself the God Butcher, intending to kill all the gods in the Universe.
And the other, wearing a proper red suit, leaning on a cane, with a gentle and refined smile, was a gentleman whose eyes seemed capable of seeing through all desires.
He handed Thanos a glass of red wine and introduced himself:
"The Lord of Hell, Mephisto, very pleased to meet you, Mr. Thanos."