More than a dozen Apache helicopters had been reduced to burning wreckage. The shattered aircraft fell from the sky like massive fireballs, trailing smoke and flame as they plummeted toward the streets below. One after another they slammed into the surrounding blocks, erupting into explosions that spread fire and debris across the evacuated district.
Although Raven's telekinetic power wasn't as overwhelmingly refined as Ethan's, among all mutants on Earth it still ranked at the absolute top.
And at this moment, the destructive impulses buried deep in her heart were fully unleashed.
Ethan made no effort to restrain her. Instead, he calmly observed the battlefield and spoke in an even tone.
"Ground troops have already begun assembling below. Go ahead. Do whatever you want."
A rare smile appeared on Raven's face.
"Good."
Her body flickered and vanished from Ethan's sight. Though invisible to normal vision, Ethan could still sense her clearly through his telepathic perception.
She reappeared directly on the street far below.
By now, Manhattan had become a massive mobilization zone. Police cars were racing in from every direction, their sirens screaming across the city. Numerous armored vehicles rumbled into position as soldiers rapidly deployed throughout the surrounding streets.
These were professional troops—fully equipped, disciplined, and operating with strict coordination. Units quickly established defensive lines and barricades while directing the remaining civilians away from the area.
Nearly twenty minutes had passed since Ethan's global broadcast began.
By this point, most of the Manhattan district surrounding the Empire State Building had already been evacuated.
"Boom!"
A dull crash suddenly echoed through the street.
A police car parked along the roadside abruptly toppled over as if something incredibly heavy had smashed into it. The impact drew immediate attention from nearby soldiers and officers.
"What happened?" a field commander asked sharply, turning to the soldier beside him.
"I'm not sure, sir," the man replied nervously. "But it looks like something just fell—oh my God! Look!"
Everyone turned toward the source of the disturbance.
As the smoke cleared, they saw a figure standing beside the crushed vehicle.
A woman in a sleek silver combat suit had appeared in the middle of the street.
"Mutant?"
The commander's expression froze for a brief moment. Then recognition dawned on his face, and panic surged through his voice.
"It's the Phoenix!"
"All units—open fire!"
The order echoed instantly across the battlefield.
For a split second, the soldiers hesitated in shock. Then training took over.
Dozens of rifles snapped into position, their barrels swinging toward Raven.
"Crack! Crack! Crack!"
Gunfire erupted immediately.
Muzzle flashes burst in rapid succession as hundreds of bullets streaked toward her. The soldiers showed no hesitation as they unleashed their full firepower.
Before deployment, they had been given clear orders.
This was war.
Their enemies might consist of only two individuals, but those individuals were mutants with unknown levels of power. On this battlefield, the army had been granted unrestricted authorization to fire.
Collateral damage was acceptable.
Buildings might be destroyed. Casualties might occur.
War was brutal, and hesitation meant death.
Raven simply raised her hand.
The incoming bullets stopped.
Thousands of rounds hung suspended in the air only inches from her body. In the blink of an eye, the hovering ammunition formed a dense metallic wall directly in front of her.
Yet the soldiers didn't stop firing.
"Whoosh!"
From a nearby corner, an RPG rocket launched into the air. The missile streaked toward Raven's back, leaving a fiery trail behind it.
She turned her head slightly.
A flash of pale crimson light flickered through the air.
The rocket detonated prematurely, exploding harmlessly several meters away.
At that moment, Raven suddenly swung her arm.
The wall of bullets reversed direction.
Thousands of projectiles shot backward along their original trajectories.
"Pop! Pop! Pop!"
The battlefield instantly filled with the sickening sounds of bullets piercing flesh.
"Ah!"
"AAH!"
"—!"
Screams erupted across the street.
The soldiers who had fired moments earlier were now struck by their own bullets. Many were hit directly in the face or chest, collapsing instantly without even having time to react.
In front of Raven, more than a hundred armed soldiers had formed the attack line.
After that single counterattack, fewer than thirty remained standing.
She waved her hand again.
Crimson energy surged forward.
An armored vehicle suddenly lifted off the ground as if seized by an invisible giant. The heavy machine was thrown more than ten meters into the air before crashing down violently.
The vehicle crumpled like a tin can.
Several unfortunate soldiers caught beneath the wreckage were instantly crushed into mangled remains.
The battlefield descended into chaos.
Even though these troops were elite soldiers, none of them had ever imagined confronting an enemy like this. The power displayed before them felt completely unnatural—something beyond human capability.
It was almost divine.
Far away in Washington, D.C., inside a secure military facility, a group of high-ranking officials sat around a large conference table.
On the wall, a massive display screen showed live battlefield footage from Manhattan.
The room remained silent as they watched the devastation unfold.
Then one man suddenly slammed his fist against the table.
"Damn it!" he shouted angrily. "Mutants are monsters—every single one of them! We need to send in more troops immediately. They can't be allowed to continue like this."
"This is war," he continued harshly. "If we fail to stop them now, the losses will only grow worse."
Another officer nodded in agreement.
"Stryker's right. We can't keep compromising like we have before. It's time these mutant bastards learn exactly how powerful the military really is."
A third man leaned forward.
"Then let's vote. Should we authorize the use of heavier weapons against New York?"
There were more than ten officials seated in the room.
Eight hands went up almost immediately.
Seeing the clear majority, the remaining officers hesitated briefly before raising their hands as well.
"Very well," the chairman said firmly.
"It's decided. We will deploy additional forces to New York. No matter the cost, those two must be defeated."
His eyes hardened.
"And if the president objects, I'll deal with him personally. But this operation must produce results."
Back in Manhattan, the streets had fully transformed into a battlefield.
More armored vehicles rumbled into position while soldiers hid behind barricades and concrete barriers. From every direction, gunfire erupted as troops continued firing desperately at Raven.
The bullets posed absolutely no threat to her.
Every time she moved, another life was claimed.
She drifted across the battlefield like a reaper, harvesting soldiers with effortless ease.
High above the city, Ethan remained standing atop the Empire State Building.
From his vantage point, he silently observed everything unfolding below. Every movement across the battlefield flowed clearly through his mind.
Watching Raven dismantle the military forces with ease, Ethan nodded slightly.
He wasn't the only one evolving.
Raven was growing stronger as well.
Although she could never match the terrifying speed of his own evolution, compared to other mutants on Earth, her power had already become something truly frightening.
.....
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