Charles and Magneto's appearance instantly drew the attention of many mutants. Furthermore, their voices were loud and clear, attracting even more mutants who gathered to see what was happening. While not everyone fully understood the situation, the attitudes of the two leaders made it clear—a great war was on the horizon. Moreover, the enemy appeared to be targeting Prince Lucci directly!
"We are ready to fight for Prince Lucci!"
"We swear to protect Prince Lucci to the death!"
Determined shouts rang out, one after another! Lucci gazed resolutely at the mutants before him, a warmth flooding his heart. Considering Hela's abilities, these mutants were probably… no match for her. But their attitude, their courage to become enemies of gods just to protect him—that was enough. It gave him great reassurance.
"Very good,"
Lucci nodded, then turned to look into the distant sky.
Hela did not keep them waiting long. Soon, the sky above Xavier's Gifted Junior School suddenly changed! Just moments ago, it had been clear, but in the blink of an eye, in the farthest reaches of the sky, dark clouds as thick as ink surged forward with an ominous and deadly aura, advancing at an abnormal and aggressive speed! The darkness swallowed the sky, blotting out even the sunlight wherever it passed. A chilling silence, filled with pure malice, pressed down on the entire school as if Mount Everest itself were bearing down!
On the training field, Jane and Diana, who hadn't yet noticed, stopped moving simultaneously. They looked up, feeling a soul-shaking terror, solemn expressions on their faces.
"What is this…?"
Jane gripped her platinum sword, using the power of light to resist the malicious invasion.
"What a powerful force of death!"
Diana's beautiful eyes shone with unprecedented vigilance.
Before anyone else could react, a vast, dark cosmic passage quietly opened in the center of the clouds, as if to swallow all light. A tall, elegant figure, moving with the grace of a queen, slowly stepped forth from the passage. She wore a gothic, form-fitting dark green armor adorned with mysterious, sinister black patterns. Her long, silky black hair flowed like a waterfall behind her, and her face was painted with heavy, smoky makeup, her lips curled in an arrogant and cruel sneer.
As she appeared, her long, silky hair atop her head defied the laws of physics, stretching and intertwining until it solidified—forming an enormous, grotesque, and terrifying helmet like antlers!
She floated silently in the air, her eyes sweeping over the mutants below with contempt and disdain.
"Ah, so lively."
Her red lips parted slightly, her voice magnetic yet saturated with arrogance and pride that penetrated to the bone.
"Lucci Odinson… which one are you?"
Her words were an undeniable command, as if summoning her own servants.
As soon as she spoke, silence fell over the training field. Before Lucci could respond, an angry roar exploded first!
"ROAR—!"
The Hulk's massive green body suddenly stepped forward, shaking the entire ground! His eyes, full of pure rage, locked on Hela in the sky.
"Who are you?"
"How dare you… disrespect the teacher?"
The Hulk was no longer just a beast who only knew destruction; he now understood respect and protection. And Lucci was the "teacher" he respected the most! How could anyone insult his teacher before him? The Hulk was furious!
Hela's eyes fell on the Hulk's enormous frame. She looked him up and down, her mocking smile growing.
"Oh? Are you his disciple?"
"A big green-skinned boy… just right, I'll start by taking you. Let's collect some interest!"
Before her words finished, Hela's figure vanished from the air! In the next instant, she reappeared before the Hulk as if teleporting. Her hand, seemingly slender and delicate, reached out—and with a sonic boom, she seized the Hulk's face!
The surrounding mutants, witnessing this scene, didn't tense up—instead, they sobered up.
"Is this woman crazy?"
"Not only is she rude to Prince Lucci, but she dares attack the Hulk?"
"She must not know how terrifying Hulk's strength is!"
In their eyes, this arrogant woman would be turned to paste by the Hulk in the next instant!
But what happened next froze everyone's smiles.
Bang—
Faced with Hela's lightning-fast strike, the Hulk roared, swinging his massive fist with enough force to shatter mountains! Fist met palm. The scene of Hela being smashed did not occur. Instead, after a dull, heavy impact, the Hulk's massive body staggered back three steps! Each step cracked the hard ground beneath him!
Was the Hulk… at a disadvantage? How was this possible? Everyone was dumbfounded! Even the Hulk himself looked incredulous. He shook his slightly numb fist, staring at the woman before him—who seemed utterly unmatched for him. For the first time, he felt his strength suppressed!
"Interesting,"
Hela said, retracting her hand, rotating her wrist with a look of surprise.
"You actually challenged me head-on. Not bad, big green guy—your muscles and bones are decent."
The Hulk, now enraged, roared again. But this time, he no longer relied solely on brute force—he used the orthodox Asgardian combat techniques Lucci had taught him! His footing became steady, and his punches were no longer wild swings, but carried explosive power and precise counters, all directed at Hela.
Hela, seeing the Hulk use these moves, was momentarily stunned, then burst out laughing uncontrollably.
"Ha, funny! Really funny! You really are his disciple! Those are Asgardian combat techniques!"
Boom!
She easily dodged the Hulk's heavy punch, planted a palm strike on his chest, causing him to stagger.
"Too bad, big green!"
Hela's ghostly figure danced around the Hulk, her voice full of endless superiority.
"Don't you get it? The so-called Asgardian combat techniques you're using…
Those were perfected and shaped by me!"
Boom!
These words struck everyone like a bolt from the blue! Before they could recover, Hela's eyes turned cold and deadly.
"In that case, let me show you… the true Dance of Death!"
With those words, Hela unleashed her real power! Her moves accelerated, leaving afterimages. She used the same Asgardian techniques, but every move perfectly suppressed the Hulk! Each time the Hulk raised his hand, she predicted his next move. Her final strike precisely cut his wrist joint; when he tried to sweep with his leg, her knee was already striking the nerve of his thigh!
Total suppression! Complete targeting!
Hela fought like a grandmaster toying with a new student! Poor Hulk, with all his godly strength, couldn't use it at all! He was completely beaten by Hela, unable to fight back!
Finally, with a beautiful over-the-shoulder throw, Hela slammed the Hulk's massive body to the ground!
Boom—!
The earth trembled, smoke rose! The entire Xavier School fell silent!
All the mutants stared dumbfounded at this demon-like woman who effortlessly felled the Hulk. Was she really… this strong? And… did she say she perfected Asgard's combat techniques? Could she, like Prince Lucci, be from the legendary… Asgardian divine realm?
"Hulk!"
A thunderous shout broke the silence!
Wolverine was the first to react, his adamantium claws snapping out! During the time they'd grown close, he already saw Hulk as a partner to fight alongside. Seeing his partner in pain, his rage flared instantly!
"This crazy woman!"
Logan roared, transforming into a yellow blur as he lunged at Hela! At the same time, the other X-Men and Magneto's Brotherhood members snapped out of their shock!
"Avenge Hulk!"
"Attack!"
Storm's eyes turned white, her hands raised high, dark clouds instantly converging overhead. Thick lightning snakes danced, slashing down at Hela! Cyclops, Colossus, Human Torch… In this instant, dozens of powerful mutants unleashed their powers! Countless abilities, a torrent of destruction, converged from all sides to engulf Hela!
Yet Hela showed no fear—only deeper contempt.
"Midgard ants… do you really dare oppose the gods?"
She raised her hand and looked down, suddenly clenching her fist.
"Come forth!"
Rumble—
At her command, the ground beneath her feet turned pitch black! Immediately after, incomparable, razor-sharp black spikes—condensed from pure death energy—shot up from the earth like bamboo shoots, forming a sealed "Jungle of Death" that shielded her completely!
No matter if it was Storm's lightning, Magneto's metal torrent, or any of the mutants' attacks, the instant they touched the black thorns, they were dissolved, devoured, and erased by the power of death!
"What?!"
Everyone was shocked! Dozens of people attacking together… blocked so easily?
"Are these your loyal subordinates?"
Hela's voice echoed from within the "Jungle of Death."
"A bit interesting… but not enough."
At that moment, a cold snort echoed in the sky.
"Really? What about me?"
Jean could no longer hold back! She floated into the air, her long, fiery red hair flowing without wind, her turquoise eyes ablaze with golden flames! An ancient, vast, and supreme power of death—far more primeval than Hela's cosmic divinity—descended with a roar!
Phoenix Force!
Hela's expression changed slightly. She glanced up at Jean, for the first time a solemn look flashing in her arrogant eyes.
"Oh? Unexpectedly, in such a desolate place, there's still a… cosmic god-level being."
Her tone grew serious.
"Interesting… Everyone else here is weak trash. Only you… have a bit of worth!"
"You will pay for your arrogance!"
Jean said coldly.
She glanced at the phoenix bracelet on her wrist—Lucci's gift—her heart swelling with limitless strength! Not wanting to harm the earth, she decided to compress the Phoenix Force to its utmost!
"Phoenix Wings Ascend!"
With the bracelet's help, Jean's control of the Phoenix Force reached an unprecedented subtlety! The huge phoenix behind her instantly contracted, condensing into pure, golden energy—a beam that seemed to pierce the universe!
With a whoosh, the golden beam shot across cosmic distances, striking Hela directly!
Hela's hastily condensed death spikes melted like snow upon contact with the golden beam!
"What?!"
Hela screamed, her body and battle armor utterly annihilated by the pure, supreme Phoenix flames—disintegrated and evaporated at the most fundamental particle level!
Silence descended. The world seemed to pause.
"Did… we win?"
"Amazing! Jean won!"
The mutants on the ground erupted in earth-shaking cheers after a moment of stunned silence! Jean also breathed a sigh of relief, gazing lovingly at the softly glowing bracelet on her wrist—Lucci's gift was truly incredible!
But in the next instant—a laughter filled with resentment and madness echoed out!
"Sister… did you think… this would kill me? How naive!"
At the very spot where Hela had just been erased, the scattered death energy rapidly coalesced, as if summoned by some force! A body of black smoke reformed—flesh, muscle, bone, and battle armor—all restored in seconds!
Hela's figure reappeared!
"How dare you destroy my body!"
Her voice brimmed with boundless resentment and murderous intent!
Jean's expression changed. Without hesitation, she unleashed the Phoenix Force again, completely destroying Hela's form! Yet, just as before, within seconds, Hela's body regenerated and was restored!
"It's useless!"
Hela spread her arms, a mad smile on her face as she felt the ceaseless power from the void.
"As long as Asgard exists, I cannot die!"
"You cannot kill me!"
All the mutants' cheers cut off abruptly, their faces full of shock!
An enemy that can't be defeated?
How could they possibly win?
Jean frowned involuntarily.
"Not dead? Impossible!"
"As long as you're alive, resurrection must cost you power!"
"If I can't kill you once, I'll do it ten times. If not ten, then a hundred, a thousand, ten thousand times… We'll see if you can resurrect endlessly!"
But from afar, Lucci shook his head slightly, his calm and indifferent voice reaching everyone's ears, instantly drowning out Hela's maniacal laughter.
"No need to bother."
"Jean, come back."
"This battle—I'll fight it!"
…