Han Shaoqing's strength had always been a mystery to Charles and the others.
They all knew he was powerful—but just how powerful?
No one really knew.
All they did know was that even working together, they had never managed to defeat him.
Today, Erik decided to challenge him one-on-one—likely because his confidence had swelled.
Facing the challenge, Han Shaoqing did not refuse.
As Artoria called out, "Begin!", Erik, standing opposite Han Shaoqing, made the first move without hesitation.
With a wave of his hand, under the control of the magnetic field, the bullet casings scattered across the ground shot rapidly toward Han Shaoqing.
Han Shaoqing didn't dodge. A gravitational field formed a protective barrier around him, effortlessly blocking the incoming projectiles.
Among the four fundamental forces of the universe: strong nuclear force > electromagnetic force > weak nuclear force > gravity.
Erik possessed one of these—the electromagnetic force.
Han Shaoqing, on the other hand, had acquired the gravity control of the "King of Forces," namely the comparatively weaker gravitational force.
Because of his control over gravity, Han Shaoqing could easily alter the weight of objects and manipulate virtually anything.
Erik was different. He could only control objects related to magnetic fields, not everything. His control over metal was extremely precise—he could even reshape it at will, something Han Shaoqing could not do.
However, although electromagnetic force ranked higher than gravity, Erik was still only scratching the surface of its power. He hadn't even mastered a defensive field yet—how could he possibly be Han Shaoqing's opponent?
"One of my abilities is controlling gravity. While it may be slightly inferior to electromagnetic force, that only applies at the same level. You're still far from that."
Protected by his force field, Han Shaoqing completely ignored Erik's attacks.
With a simple gesture, a powerful attraction pulled Erik forcefully toward him.
Then, with a flick of his finger, a repulsive force blasted Erik away, sending him crashing into a large tree. Countless bullets embedded themselves around him, forming a human-shaped outline.
After landing, a trace of blood appeared at the corner of Erik's mouth. The injury wasn't severe—but the pain certainly was.
The strained expression on his face made that obvious.
Grimacing in pain, Erik looked anything but dignified. After a moment, he finally managed to stand up.
This was just a sparring match—if it had been a real fight to the death, he would have already been dead in that instant.
Wiping the blood from his lips, Erik looked at Han Shaoqing.
"Aquaman… have you ever bled?"
As he spoke, Erik took out a game coin and placed it on his right hand, pinching it between his thumb and index finger.
"So you've completed it? Impressive—as expected of you."
Seeing Erik's actions, Han Shaoqing didn't stop him. Instead, he grew slightly interested.
"You'd better block this. Otherwise, someone might die."
Erik seemed confident. He aimed the coin at Han Shaoqing and flicked it forward.
Bang—!
With a sonic boom as it broke the speed of sound, the coin shot forward like a streak of light.
Sizzle—
At such terrifying speed, the coin generated intense friction with the air. Combined with the heat produced by electromagnetic acceleration, it began melting mid-flight.
This attack couldn't be used against distant targets, but within a hundred meters, it retained tremendous destructive power.
In fact, Erik had only developed this move after receiving guidance from Han Shaoqing. It was called the "Railgun."
Using electromagnetic induction, the coin was launched at an initial velocity three times the speed of sound.
By continuously accelerating and correcting its trajectory with electromagnetic force, the projectile—unlike ordinary bullets—kept gaining speed until impact, granting it extremely high accuracy and destructive power.
Han Shaoqing had originally suggested the idea casually, inspired by Misaka Mikoto's railgun.
He hadn't expected Erik to actually succeed in developing it within just a few days.
The railgun's power was astonishing, and its speed immense. Among the onlookers, only Artoria could clearly see it.
Charles and the others only saw a flash of light—a terrifying speed leaving afterimages in the air. The orange beam resembled a laser, and wherever it passed, the ground was torn apart by scorching shockwaves, leaving a charred trail dozens of meters long. The mere aftershock wind was enough to send people flying.
Such power was even comparable to—if not greater than—Alex's energy beams.
Yet Han Shaoqing remained unmoved, allowing the railgun to strike.
Erik's attack could be described as capable of splitting mountains and shattering stone, but when it struck Han Shaoqing's force field, it was like tossing a small pebble into a lake—only a faint ripple formed before everything dissipated.
As the dust settled, Han Shaoqing looked at Erik.
"To develop a railgun in such a short time—your talent is indeed remarkable. If you replace the coin with a larger conductor, both its power and range could improve further. Do you have any other techniques?"
Hearing this, Erik fell silent for a moment.
"I concede."
Before Han Shaoqing could make another move, Erik decisively admitted defeat.
The railgun was already his strongest attack. If it couldn't break Han Shaoqing's defense, continuing would only result in him being thoroughly outclassed.
"Then we'll end it here for today. Dismissed."
As the afternoon combat training came to an end, Han Shaoqing used the red hand of the "Dual Completion Technique" to heal the injured, then let everyone go about their own activities.
Charles, Erik, and Moira left the estate for the CIA.
Raven, Sean, and the other young mutants began relaxing and having fun.
Hank returned to the lab to continue his research.
Meanwhile, Han Shaoqing accompanied Artoria for a walk along the seaside.
Passing by an ice cream truck, he bought two servings. When he returned, he saw Artoria standing quietly, gazing out at the ocean.
She had changed into a white blouse and a long blue skirt, her golden hair flowing freely—easy to recognize.
Walking up to her, Han Shaoqing handed her the ice cream.
"The scenery here isn't bad."
"Thank you."
Taking the ice cream, Artoria said with a hint of emotion:
"The sea breeze in my homeland surges with towering waves, like the manes of countless white horses galloping together. Compared to that, the sea here is very calm."
Han Shaoqing looked at her profile and noticed a trace of melancholy in her tone when she spoke of her homeland.
Gazing into the distance, Artoria reminisced:
"I once thought that when peace finally came to my country, I would set sail and explore distant lands."
"The golden plains of Gaul spoken of by knights from the continent… the green hills of the winter country where the Irish people live…"
"Or raising my banner upon some faraway land described in a bard's songs, taking in all the unknown wonders."
…Was she homesick?
Looking at Artoria's faintly wistful expression, Han Shaoqing found himself at a loss for words.
This world also had Britain—but to Artoria, it was still a foreign land, because none of the people or memories she cherished existed there.
Artoria turned to him, took a bite of her ice cream, and smiled.
"For some reason, I suddenly remembered these things. But actually, I'm quite fortunate—to be able to gaze at the sea like this in peace. It's not just longing, but also filled with beautiful memories."
As she spoke, she stood and spun lightly. The sea breeze brushed past her arms, lifting her skirt as it fluttered—like a spirit dancing in the wind.