The Mandarin remained unflustered, not startled in the least by Clark's sudden appearance.
"If you have ideas, you can join the Ten Rings too. I certainly won't stop you."
"The Ten Rings welcomes everyone!"
He struck a pose of haughty grandeur, as if he were engaged in some noble endeavor.
He then glanced dismissively at the Saint Kent Academy crowd, only to find every single person glaring at him with murderous intent. Not a single defector.
The Mandarin was puzzled.
By his calculations, his carrot-and-stick approach should have swayed at least a few. Why did it fail completely with this group?
Were the people of Saint Kent Academy this loyal?
Remembering the disobedient Sandman, the Mandarin's face turned icy.
He'd already formed a hypothesis:
If even a scoundrel like Sandman could betray me for a so-called 'old Headmaster' after joining, then it must be even harder to change the minds of these mutants still serving the academy!
He didn't hesitate.
Upon realizing these mutants weren't swallowing the sugar-coated bullets, his countermeasure was simple:
"Everyone, attack! Knock them all out and take them! If any hardheads are too troublesome eliminate them with full force!"
Attacking S.H.I.E.L.D. had endless consequences; pursuers could arrive at any moment. The Mandarin had no intention of wasting time here!
With the Ten Rings' resources and his own power, taking this school would be effortless. It wouldn't take long!
His gaze shifted to the interior of Saint Kent Academy, a faint smile touching the corners of his eyes.
"These mutants at the gate are all adults, probably hard to brainwash. But the students inside the academy... that should be much simpler!"
The moment these words left his mouth, the security team's expressions froze, then twisted with even greater fury. Their fighting spirit skyrocketed by dozens of percentage points.
Everyone had their bottom line.
And for the mutants who had graduated from Saint Kent Academy, the academy itself was that line!
The Mandarin's words and actions had pushed their battle intent to its absolute peak!
All fifty-plus guards looked simultaneously at Clark, awaiting his command.
...
Seeing the Mandarin give the order and the mob of thugs prepare to charge, Clark calmly raised his right hand.
"Hold on a moment."
A smile spread across the Mandarin's face. "Changed your mind? Ready to lead them into the Ten Rings?"
Clark shook his head, ignoring the Mandarin and turning to Antonio instead.
"I know you're burning with pent-up fury inside. So I'm leaving that snake-faced lunatic for you. Save you from developing any lingering... issues."
In a blur of motion faster than thought could follow, Clark flashed forward. In the space between heartbeats, he snatched the snake-like lieutenant from the Mandarin's side and hurled him into the center of the distant, empty street usually bustling with traffic, now eerily deserted.
Antonio, catching on, didn't waste words. His fists swelled to three times their normal size, blood-red tusks manifesting as a testament to his killing intent. He charged towards the Snake-Man in grim silence.
He understood. This was a battlefield Clark had specifically arranged for him a chance to fight, to vent his frustration and rage, and then... to return to his duties at the academy without any further rebellious ideas.
The raw power of a physical enhancement mutant was on full display in Antonio.
While his top speed couldn't match Clark's, in the brief moment the Snake-Man was disoriented, Antonio was already upon him, a single fist sending the lieutenant sprawling to the ground.
A nosebleed and teeth flew simultaneously.
The Snake-Man lieutenant was utterly dumbfounded.
One moment he'd been standing safely beside the Mandarin, the next he was blinking in the middle of the street.
Before he could even process it, a fist the size of a small ham had connected with his face, launching two of his front teeth. Who could he even complain to?
Regardless of the reasoning, the Snake-Man only understood one thing right now:
He was being beaten!
"I'm going to kill you!" he slurred, the gap in his teeth affecting his speech.
His body instantly became impossibly supple. His hands transformed into two venomous snakes, his face elongating and contorting until he resembled a humanoid serpent standing on its hind legs!
...
"What kind of sorcery is this?" The Mandarin stared at the spot where his lieutenant had just vanished, momentarily stunned.
He quickly recovered, looking at Clark with a spark of astonishment. "A spatial manipulation mutant? I've heard tales of such incredible abilities, but this is my first time seeing one."
Clark: "???"
Spatial manipulation my ass!
This is pure speed! SPEED!
The Mandarin, however, dismissed the thought. Though inwardly shocked, he wasn't overly concerned.
Based on his understanding, spatial abilities, while powerful, came with significant limitations.
He wasn't worried about such a power. He possessed ten mystical rings, which constantly provided him with a magical shield.
That invisible barrier had saved him from countless assassinations and attacks over the years.
The Mandarin was long accustomed to this protection. The endless passage of time had only made him more familiar and adept with the ten rings adorning his fingers!
"Since you've made the first move, let's see if you can handle this."
He gently twisted the red ring on his left index finger. The cataclysmic power known as "Flame Blast" instantly surged towards Clark!
The Mandarin had absolute confidence in this attack's destructive force.
One of the two battleships lying at the bottom of the naval yard had been sunk by a single "Flame Blast"!
In all his years wandering the martial world, making countless enemies, how had the Mandarin remained standing? Was it through the influence of the Ten Rings?
No! Never!
The power he relied on most was always the ten rings on his hands!
"Look out!" Jean cried out, seeing a ball of flame appear so suddenly it superheated the surrounding air. She knew this attack was no joke. That seemingly small flame was a point of explosion compressed to its absolute limit!
The slightest touch would unleash immeasurable shockwaves!
But she only had time for the warning before the fireball was upon Clark.
Clark, of course, had noticed it long before. But he showed no intention of dodging. Instead, he raised his left hand to meet the oncoming inferno!
A strange, red-and-black flame coated the surface of Clark's left hand, forming a protective layer. Beneath that flame was the body of the Superman!
Seeing Clark's sheer audacity, the Mandarin laughed. "Trying to catch my magic with your bare hand? Who gave you the nerve?!"
The scorching flame arrived in an instant, crashing directly into the palm of Clark's outstretched left hand without the slightest deviation!
The moment they made contact, a terrifying chemical reaction seemed to occur. Continuously colliding and detonating flames became the only reality, as if the next second would see the fire erupt and blast everything combustible and non-combustible in the vicinity to smithereens!
Yet, miraculously, in the face of this terrifying display, that seemingly fragile left hand remained palm-up, utterly unshaken. Not even a trace of scorching marred its surface.
In the next instant, that deceptively simple left hand closed around the flame, and then... gave a gentle squeeze.
The fire died.
The atmosphere froze.
Clark opened his hand. A single, stubborn spark fizzled out with a final pop, turning into a wisp of black smoke and vanishing completely.
Clark shook his left hand slightly and smiled at the utterly dumbfounded Mandarin.
"Not bad power. Those rings of yours are quite interesting. Got any more little toys like that? Bring out a few more, let me have a taste."
/-\
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