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*****
"You're all dead!"
Hearing Eric's cold declaration, the two Phoenix Force hosts narrowed their eyes. But before they could act, a flurry of sharp blades materialized silently, piercing through their bodies.
It was only in this moment that they realized the true terror of this mysterious assault.
They tried to struggle, but every weapon embedded in their flesh acted as a total suppression of their existence—from their physical forms to their souls, and from their wills to their very power.
The result... was absolute death.
Eric and the others watched in awe as two hosts possessed of such immense power were skewered like ordinary men, dying where they stood.
"The Phoenix Force... it's gone?"
Suddenly, Hela's voice rose in surprise.
Eric turned his gaze toward Jean. She looked equally bewildered. "I can't sense the other fragments of the Phoenix Force anymore. They've completely vanished."
Vanished?
Eric and Hela exchanged a look, a shared sense of foreboding blooming in their chests.
Before they could dwell on it, however, they were stunned by the spectacle unfolding before their eyes.
High above, a magnificent, blinding golden sun had appeared!
Countless rays of golden light shot forth from the sun, weaving a dense canopy that blotted out the sky. The heavens were stained a brilliant gold, and the light spread with terrifying speed, threatening to swallow the entire world.
"Are those... are those all the same weapons from before?" Hela's shock reached its limit.
She, too, could summon weapons at will, but this was on an entirely different level. Only a few of those blades had been needed to execute a Phoenix host. Now, there were millions.
Eric let out a faint smile and reached out, pulling Hela closer by the shoulder. He tilted his head back to look at the shifting sky. "Well? What do you think?"
"What do I think about what?"
"Being my woman. My family's 'lady of the house' is pretty impressive, wouldn't you say?"
Hela gave a low chuckle. "It seems I've finally made a decent choice for once."
Eric beamed with pride.
Watching the two of them, Emma Frost brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. She looked up at the golden firmament and whispered, "Logan should be safe now."
Just then, Jean cried out, "Look! Something is changing!"
The group watched as the weapons that had gilded the sky began to contract and converge. They transformed into a flowing celestial river of gold, stretching across the stars, bypassing the planet and the vacuum of space, and plunging straight toward Earth.
"It's beginning!" Charles Xavier murmured, his eyes brimming with anticipation.
In the office, Jor-El made a slight gesture with his finger, and a holographic display flickered into life.
"Wow! It's beautiful!" little Rum exclaimed. Raven and the others stood beside him, equally mesmerized by the projection.
The golden river looked like a waterfall connecting Kent Planet to Earth. As it 'crashed' into the Earth's atmosphere, it didn't splash like water; instead, it erupted into countless golden 'blooms.'
These weren't flowers, but weapons—shimmering, radiant blades. The moment they touched the Earth, they dissolved into golden threads of light.
The weapons poured in ceaselessly, weaving together into a gargantuan net of golden silk that draped over the entire globe.
In an instant, every enemy became prey trapped within this net. Infused with the power of the Infinity Stones, the web isolated Earth's coordinates from the parallel universes, causing the planet to vanish from the senses of any remaining Phoenix Force hosts.
Space-time rifts snapped shut. The weapons forming the net became Mike's ultimate tools of execution. Under his absolute control, they streaked toward their targets.
One by one, the Phoenix Force hosts began to fall.
These formidable warriors, once capable of cosmic destruction, were systematically wiped out without the slightest chance to retaliate.
The sight left everyone breathless.
One... two...
Mike silently counted the fallen enemies. His expression remained calm, but as he watched the Phoenix Force fragments disappear into nothingness rather than returning to the source, his internal alarms blared.
Moments later, the invaders were purged. The rifts were gone, and the coordinates of their universe were hidden once more.
The crisis had passed. Smiles broke out among those who had survived the Great War, yet Mike's brow remained heavy with gravity.
Where did the disappearing Phoenix Force go?
He didn't believe for a second that the power had simply evaporated, especially since Jean—the perfect host—was right here.
If someone has absorbed all that power, what is their endgame? If they are an ally, why didn't they show up during the fight? If they are an enemy, are they staying hidden because of... me?
A series of thoughts flashed through Mike's mind. Unseen by anyone, several cards quietly appeared in his hand before vanishing again.
His eyes flickered with a hidden light. Then, with a gentle smile, he descended from the sky. With a casual wave of his hand, the golden weapons guarding Kent Planet and Earth dissipated.
As he touched down, Eric and the others landed beside him. Simultaneously, hearing the cheers of the superheroes, Jor-El opened portals to bring everyone to Mike's side.
Everyone looked at Mike, their faces flushed with emotion.
Mike let out a soft cough. His face turned imperceptibly pale as he looked at the crowd. "We won!"
The area erupted into cheers.
It had been a desperate struggle, but... thankfully, they had Mike. In that moment, everyone felt a profound sense of gratitude that their world possessed such a protector.
Rum, despite his joy, gave Mike a slightly resentful look. "I didn't even get a chance to move before you finished everything!" He paused, then broke into a brilliant grin. "As expected of my Dad!"
Clark and the others smiled and nodded in agreement. They were just as proud.
Mike looked at them and said, "The things I just gave you—make sure you keep them safe."
Though confused, they all nodded, trying to guess Mike's intent.
Mike offered a thin smile, but his complexion grew increasingly haggard, taking on the appearance of someone utterly exhausted after a monumental battle.
Noticing his state, Clark stepped forward anxiously. "Dad, are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Mike said, waving a hand dismissively. "I just need to rest for a while."
Suddenly, the atmosphere shifted. Mike's expression changed instantly, and without hesitation, he shoved Clark violently to the side.
In the next heartbeat, a terrifying surge of energy—powerful enough to tear the very fabric of reality into a void—erupted exactly where Mike had been standing.
It wasn't just one source of energy. Five distinct, horrifying powers struck simultaneously.
Mike was pinned in the center of that void by the devastating force. His body began to crumble like grains of sand caught in a gale, slowly and steadily vanishing.
The world seemed to stop. Everyone froze in horror.
"MIKE!"
With a scream of pure agony, Clark was the first to lunge forward. Eric and Charles's powers flared out of control, stirring up a psychic and magnetic storm, while Gwen transformed instantly into a streak of blue flame, charging toward the void.
Little Rum stood paralyzed, staring blankly at the spot where his father was slowly fading away.
(End of Chapter)