Bab 156: Apocalypse's Ferocity

Authors Note-

You can read up to 20 chapters ahead on my Patreon - Mad_verse [ Your support will help me in continuing this fic]

...

Moira initially supported Red Devil's suggestion.

"Yes, Charles, you shouldn't stay here if you're injured. If the apocalypse seizes your body, the entire world is doomed. You should leave first."

Chris interjected, exclaiming, "No! Professor X can't go!"

Azazel echoed, "No! Charles can't go!"

Professor X added, "No! I can't go!"

Their simultaneous protests confused Moira, who couldn't grasp why they vehemently opposed the idea.

Chris sighed and clarified, "Mom, everyone can leave, but Professor X mustn't. The situation is clear—no one can match the apocalypse's strength. He can travel through space anytime he wants.

Now that we're all gathered, our collective strength is unparalleled. It's our best chance to defeat the apocalypse. If we fail and he escapes, we can't stay together indefinitely, and he'll eventually beat us.

Apocalypse has lingered here because he's confident in his strength and reluctant to leave. The main aim is to capture Professor X's body. Professor X is the bait luring Apocalypse here. If we fail, it poses significant risks."

Surprised by her son's explanation, Moira hesitated, "Even if we lure Apocalypse here, we can't kill him!"

Faces turned serious. They had yet to discover a way to inflict significant damage on Apocalypse. Even if wounded, he rapidly healed, and his resilience was extreme.

Chris pondered and said, "It's not entirely impossible. I do have a trump card. If fully unleashed, Apocalypse will be vaporized. However, it's uncontrollable and might cause extensive damage, even evaporating many in Cairo. Red Devil, can you teleport Apocalypse elsewhere?"

. However, controlling this power was challenging. Shaking his head, the red devil replied, "Don't think about it. It's impossible. Though his spatial ability isn't as flexible as mine, resisting my teleportation won't be an issue."

Chris, distressed, conceded, "Then I have no choice."

Kyle patted Chris's shoulder, understanding the predicament. "Bro, your bodyguard's ability is quite limited. But I'm in no position to criticize. Ghost faces a similar challenge. Ghost can single-handedly form an army in a large-scale team battle and overwhelm the enemy with thousands. However, against an opponent like Apocalypse, sheer numbers won't suffice. Forcing thousands of souls to fuse might grant immense power momentarily, but it risks the collapse of Ghost afterward. I can't bear that."

"This won't work, and that won't either. What should we do?" Cyclops, the youngest, grew increasingly impatient. The murderer who killed his brother was right in front of him, yet revenge eluded him.

Chris surveyed the battlefield. Phoenix's flames were dimming while Apocalypse grew bolder. It seemed Phoenix couldn't match him. Meanwhile, Clark struggled with constantly condensing and reorganizing rubble.

Turning to the general, Chris said, "Regardless, General, retrieve Clark. Let's find a solution together."

Professor X's mind raced. His gaze landed on Magneto, the master of the Earth's magnetic field. He suggested, "Maybe we can ask Eric; he might have a way to deal with Apocalypse."

"How's that possible? Magneto is now one of Apocalypse's minions. He's one of the knights. Why could he betray?" Cyclops protested unhappily.

"Then, use force to apprehend him and extract the information directly from his mind. Professor, you don't want to invade others' minds casually, but this concerns the world's safety. You must make an exception!" Cyclops urged, staring at Professor X with a severe expression.

Professor X hesitated. His feelings for Magneto—both friends and enemies- were complex. Although their ideologies differed, they shared a commitment to mutant welfare. Invading a friend's mind for vital information seemed inappropriate, yet the world's safety hung in the balance, making the decision challenging.

Mystique approached Professor X, rubbing her neck, strangled by Apocalypse earlier, and hoarsely said, "Charles, follow their wishes. Though it may be a little disloyal to Eric, the stakes are too high."

Seeing Mystique's determined gaze, Professor X finally nodded. Simultaneously, General reached Clark's location, leaped, and slammed his fist on the vast stone ball. A passage opened, connecting the inside and outside. Taking advantage of its vulnerability, the general joined Chris briefly.

With a plan in place, everyone sprang into action, following Chris's lead, who was most familiar with their abilities.

"Kyle, you, Azazel, Krouk, and Simba support Phoenix together. Ensure you restrain Apocalypse. Loan me Ghost, and I'll catch Magneto with Ghost. The rest, protect Professor X."

Kyle's sleeves billowed as black mist surrounded Chris, transforming him into a mysterious figure shrouded in black robes. They headed towards Magneto.

Kyle, Red Devil, Clark, and Simba gathered to besiege Apocalypse. The Red Devil initiated the attack, hands glowing with blue brilliance, creating a group of lights floating in the air, densely surrounding them.

This is an early warning trick developed by Red Devil for spatial fluctuations. It can sense the location of the other party's teleportation in advance and even predict when it will occur. The Red Devil can launch a preemptive attack, disrupting the teleportation process designed to counter other spatial abilities. This is its first deployment, as there has yet to be a prior encounter with a similar spatially capable individual!

Following Clark and the generals, the two rushed forward, leveraging their robust physical fitness to deliver relentless blows. On the other hand, Simba sprang from unexpected angles, taking opportunistic bites. With Phoenix acting as the main attacker and a meat shield, Apocalypse temporarily suppressed himself.

Capitalizing on this moment, Chris, accompanied by Ghost, approached Magneto. Chris nodded at the ghost, who understood the plan. Shaking her body, Ghost transformed into a hyperspectral biological form and multiplied rapidly—two to four, four to eight, and so on.

A spectacular sight unfolded with hundreds of ghosts standing there. Beneath their feet, a black fog lifted them. Upon closer inspection, the black fog revealed itself as a soul body, necessary for flying after transforming from the spectral form.

Upon Chris's command, the hyperspectral ghosts surrounded Magneto in the center. Simultaneously, they pounded their fists on the shield made of metal fragments around Magneto.

Accompanied by a series of metallic symphonies, the hundreds of ghosts aggressively dismantled the shield of metal shards.

Initially confident in his protective shield, Magneto was taken aback by its quick failure. He attempted to control the metal fragments to strike the ghostly bodies, but to his surprise, they seemed impervious to resistance, like mere phantoms. Yet, these same entities had earlier shattered the protective cover. What had changed?

Unbeknownst to Magneto, the ghost's unique ability transformed it into reality at will. Physical attacks were futile. Chris strategically employed the ghost, exploiting Magneto's vulnerability.

Left with no other option, Magneto shrank the protective cover, buying more time and hoping for Apocalypse's assistance.

Meanwhile, Apocalypse noticed Magneto's plight. Previously, he would have dismissed Magneto as inconsequential, but now he faced an unexpected dilemma. The opposition appeared formidable, proving that strength alone might not secure victory; assistance from others was essential. Magneto's combat prowess was now crucial.

Apocalypse's blue shield wavered as he attempted to teleport to Magneto's aid. However, several blue light groups in the air flickered at that critical moment. Without hesitation, Red Devil used the black knife in his hand, manipulating space with precision, and slashed through the fluctuating space node, interrupting the transmission. The Red Devil's pale face revealed the strain of this challenging maneuver.

It was Apocalypse's first experience of his teleportation being thwarted. Momentarily stunned, he found himself immediately subdued by the combined efforts of General Clark and Simba.

Seizing the opportunity, Chris directed the ghost to escalate its assault. In addition, she refrained from casting magical attacks. Magneto could no longer hold his ground, and the shield of metal fragments finally succumbed, blasted with a hole.

Just as Chris was about to apprehend Magneto, a diamond-shaped translucent barrier shielded him. Chris saw a plane flying in the sky, with three figures leaping and hovering. The person on the left, aiming at Magneto, was responsible for the barrier. With a peculiar face tattoo, the woman exuded a dim psychic glow—clearly, a psychic mutant responsible for enabling flight. The burly man with unruly hair, unrecognized by Chris but identified as Sabretooth, Wolverine Logan's brother, possessed superhuman recovery abilities, making him an ideal meat shield. Together, the three formed a cohesive team with complementary skills.