Wakanda's sacred mountain trembled.
Every grain of stone vibrated as the earth itself shuddered.
Deep within the mine, Hawk's cosmos devoured the endless vibranium.
Inside his cosmos, the constellation of Phoenix spread its wings, crying out in a voice that shook space itself. The vibranium he had drawn inside melted instantly under the blazing heat of the firebird.
Silver Star Sand.
Gammanium.
The other materials required for forging a Cloth joined the molten metal, swirling together in the Phoenix constellation's forge.
Then—Hawk felt it.
His eyes opened.
Before him floated a single feather, glowing with the purest flame:
"The Phoenix Heart Feather!"
The moment his hand touched it, truth flooded his mind.
This was no projection of his inner cosmos—it was the real Phoenix constellation's gift.
The authority of divinity itself: true immortality, true rebirth.
Before, his "immortality" and "resurrection" came from Phoenix's blessing. But now, with the Heart Feather in his hand, the authority rested with him alone.
In other words—the real Phoenix constellation had wagered everything, betting that Hawk would make her the brightest star in the universe.
No alternatives. No retreat.
And with that bet came her will: she wanted to merge with his cosmos.
Hawk didn't hesitate. He had already considered this path.
Jack of all trades meant master of none. And he didn't want to be half-measure. He needed focus. Specialization.
At first, awakening every constellation had thrilled him. But in the end, he chose—specialize.
And yet… other constellations' powers were tempting. He couldn't deny it.
But before he found another way, Phoenix herself had gone all-in.
So be it.
Hawk decided.
The Phoenix Heart Feather sank into his cosmos, and the brightest, fiercest flames erupted.
"Burn, my cosmos!!"
BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM!
The Phoenix and Dragon constellations within exploded, burning away until his cosmos collapsed into chaos.
His body paled.
With a cosmos, he stood at the peak of the transcendent. Without it, he was mortal.
This was as good as self-harm—anyone could have slain him now.
But it was worth it.
For as the cosmos burned to nothingness, the flames of Phoenix's Heart ignited, fusing with the chaos.
Outside, Wakanda burned.
King T'Chaka stirred awake, blood on his lips, Shuri's desperate voice in his ear.
"Father, thank the ancestors, you're alive! Come back quickly—the black Hulk is tearing the city apart!"
T'Chaka leapt onto his royal fighter, soaring over valleys and rivers, only to gasp as he saw the ruins below.
The River Tribe's city was gone. A crater remained, strewn with mangled corpses.
And there—standing tall in the ruins, eyes burning with hellfire, the Demon Hulk roared to the heavens.
"HUUUULK!!"
The sound rattled Wakanda itself.
In the command chamber, T'Chaka landed and took control. "Casualties?"
"Massive. The River Tribe's warriors—all gone. The tanks still hold, but our weapons can't hurt him. He's… looking for something."
T'Chaka's eyes narrowed. He realized.
"He's searching for Hawk."
"Lure him to the mountain," he ordered. "Keep him away from the city."
Fighters streaked across the sky, loosing missiles to provoke the monster. Hulk roared, leapt after them.
"It worked!" Shuri cried.
"Good. Once our people are safe, seal the shield. Let those two monsters fight each other."
Then, suddenly, T'Chaka coughed blood, collapsing.
"Father!" Shuri screamed, clutching him, her heart breaking.
T'Chaka's fading eyes glimmered. "I see the Ancestral Plane… a new cosmos is born…"
Meanwhile, in the mine—
Hawk stood within his cosmos reborn.
No longer a mere microcosmos.
A Phoenix Cosmos.
Its stars still shone with his essence, but everywhere burned with Phoenix's divine flame.
From now on, when he manifested his cosmos, the Phoenix Heart itself could become a parallel world—like Odin's Asgard.
The Dragon constellation was gone, consumed in the rebirth.
But what he gained… was far greater. His power was sharper, more real than ever.
The Phoenix Cosmos sang with a triumphant cry, fire blazing.
The Heart Feather sank into the molten vibranium, Silver Star Sand, and Gammanium.
The forge roared.
Ding! Ding! Ding!
Like a cosmic blacksmith's hammer, sparks flew as the Phoenix Cloth began its birth.
Hawk held his breath, waiting—
BOOM!
A massive hand suddenly punched through the mountain, reaching for him.
…
(End of Chapter)
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