"Ah..."
A golden sword light split Sebastian's body in two. In his final moments, he could only manage a pained scream.
The wound widened, tearing his lower body from his upper half. Blood and entrails splattered across the water.
The fatal blow killed Sebastian instantly. The energy sphere in his hand lost control and began to fall slowly toward the ground. If it detonated, its nuclear energy would be enough to level the island.
Han Shaoqing, who had burst out of the water, witnessed Artoria's killing blow. Without hesitation, he used gravity to pull the energy sphere high into the sky.
As the sphere ascended, it continuously fissioned and expanded, its light growing increasingly blinding.
*Boom!*
Moments later, the energy sphere reached its limit and detonated with a colossal explosion at an altitude of 30,000 meters. The shockwave shook the land for a hundred miles, churning the sea of clouds into a tempest. The atmosphere itself was torn open, creating a vacuum that allowed intense ultraviolet radiation to flood in.
Fortunately, Han Shaoqing reacted swiftly. While using his force field to defend against the downward shockwave of the explosion, he simultaneously used gravity to forcibly merge the atmosphere back together, preventing any casualties.
Now, the Hellfire Club was decimated—some dead, others wounded.
Only the White Queen remained unharmed. Seeing the tide had turned, the intelligent woman decisively surrendered.
But the matter was far from over.
***
United States, Pentagon.
A group of high-ranking officials and lawmakers convened to discuss how to neutralize the Mutant threat.
Ultimately, they reached a consensus with the Soviet Union.
"The Soviets have agreed to join us in striking against the Mutants. This is our best chance to eliminate the threat permanently."
"But we still have an agent there."
"An agent?"
"Then let her sacrifice herself for the nation. We won't forget her."
"To die for one's country is her honor. Prepare the fleet."
***
Under the joint command of the US and the Soviet Union, the once-antagonistic fleets in the Caribbean Sea now stood united, their sights set on the island inhabited by the mutants.
How do you make enemies work together?
The answer: Find someone they both despise, someone even more threatening.
There are no eternal friends, no eternal enemies, only eternal interests!
This truth is especially stark in international relations.
On the island, Han Shaoqing flew to Artoria's side.
"Well done!"
He patted Artoria's shoulder in approval before turning to the others.
Among the X-Men, Banshee had already climbed to his feet, his minor abrasions no cause for concern.
The most severely injured was Darwin, blinded by Sabretooth's claws. The darkness had plunged him into panic, and he remained curled up like an armadillo, clutching his head.
"Darwin, calm down. I can heal you."
As he spoke, Han Shaoqing activated the red hand of his *All-Encompassing Hands* to treat Darwin.
Moments later, Darwin's eyes reopened, and light flooded back into his vision.
"Thank you! Thank you!"
To see the world again, Darwin felt reborn. Overwhelmed with gratitude, he nearly revered Han Shaoqing as a deity.
Han Shaoqing's gaze swept over Sabretooth. The creature's regenerative abilities were formidable, its severed arm rapidly growing back to nearly full recovery.
Yet the beast's instincts warned it against making any rash moves.
Otherwise, it would truly die!
Red Devil stood with a swollen lump on his head, bound tightly and tied to a coconut tree. As for the less conspicuous Black Tom and Riptide, Han Shaoqing considered them briefly before healing their injuries.
Previously, serving different masters, there was no harm in striking them down ruthlessly. But now that Sebastian was dead, Han Shaoqing was considering recruiting these mutants for his own purposes.
His eyes swept over the members of Hellfire, finally settling on Sebastian's corpse, severed in two. Under the astonished gazes of the crowd, Han Shaoqing stepped on Sebastian's head and casually remarked, "Shaw is dead. You have two choices: continue following him, or follow me."
As he spoke, a notification chimed from the Check-in System:
**Ding! The host is currently standing on the head of the Black King Sebastian Shaw, meeting the check-in criteria. Do you wish to check in?**
Hearing the system's prompt, Han Shaoqing thought, *So even dead people can be checked in.*
He silently thought, "Check in."
**Checking in... Countdown 10 seconds... 10... 3, 2, 1, check-in successful! Congratulations to the host for obtaining—Vector Manipulation from the A Certain Magical Index world.**
**Vector Manipulation**: When energy is directed through skin contact, it allows for the free control of the direction of all forms of energy, including kinetic, thermal, and electrical. It can reflect all physical attacks.
**Claim this ability?**
This Vector Manipulation ability was excellent, similar to Black King Sebastian Shaw's powers, and in some ways, even superior.
Under normal circumstances, all vectors except essential, harmless ones like gravity and oxygen are set to "reflect" unconsciously.
Vectors imperceptible to ordinary people, such as radiation and infrasound, can also be sensed.
With this ability, one could even withstand a nuclear blast without a scratch.
The only drawback was its impotence against supernatural abilities like magic and curses.
With many eyes and ears around, Han Shaoqing didn't rush to claim the ability. Instead, he turned his gaze toward the US-Soviet Fleet.
Magneto, with his magnetic field control and extreme sensitivity to metal, had naturally sensed the rotating gun barrels.
Donning the helmet he'd stripped from Sebastian's head, Magneto spoke: "Brothers, there's no need to continue fighting. The real enemy is over there. I can feel it—they've already aimed their cannons at us."
"Sebastian is a bastard, but he's right about one thing: Mutants are the future. Humanity has declared war on us. Which side will you choose?"
"This is impossible!" Agent Moira shouted, her face contorted with shock.
Professor X's expression shifted slightly. He quickly used Telepathy to probe the fleet's intelligence, his face growing increasingly grim. He sensed the thoughts of the people around him, filled with fear and hostility.
Magneto turned to Professor X. "Charles, tell me—am I wrong?"
Charles remained silent. The very outcome he had dreaded most had come to pass.
Magneto glanced at Han Shaoqing and Artoria. Seeing no objection, he continued, "We've bled and sacrificed for this world's peace, only to be betrayed. They see us as heretics and threats. No matter what we do, they'll never set aside their prejudice and truly accept us."
"Brothers and sisters, the time has come to choose. Join me in fighting for the survival and future of all Mutants!"
His impassioned words stirred the crowd, eliciting varied reactions.
(End of Chapter)
War's Cruelty—You Can't Afford to Bear It
Erik's eloquence was undeniable. Under his impassioned rhetoric, young X-Men like Raven, Sean, and Salvador couldn't help but waver.
*After all,* they thought, *weren't we fighting to the death on the front lines to prevent war and earn the acceptance of ordinary people, so we could finally live in peace?*
*Was that too much to ask?*
*We risked everything to quell the conflict, only for the US-Soviet Fleet to turn on us like ungrateful dogs! Isn't that just bullying the honest ones?*
*Even a clay doll has its limits!*
However, the young Mutants didn't immediately choose sides between Charles and Erik. Instead, their gazes turned to Han Shaoqing.
In just a few days, Han Shaoqing's towering figure had unconsciously risen to a position of great stature in their hearts.
After all, people naturally follow the crowd and are drawn to strength.
Han Shaoqing was, without a doubt, the strongest among them.
The White Queen and Sabretooth exchanged glances before also turning their attention to Han Shaoqing.
The words of the strong carried the greatest authority.
These individuals, who thrive on chaos, had initially sought to ignite a human war to allow Mutants to seize control of the world.
Hearing Erik's words, they were all eager to join the scheme.
But without Han Shaoqing's decision, they dared not jump to conclusions. Choosing the wrong side could cost them their lives!
Seeing everyone waiting for his decision, Han Shaoqing began weighing the pros and cons.
Truthfully, he didn't possess the X-Gene, so he wasn't technically a Mutant.
Yet his abilities far surpassed those of ordinary humans. To outsiders, he might even pose a greater threat than Mutants.
Though he'd long known the true nature of those in power, now caught in the middle as a participant, Han Shaoqing still felt the sting of betrayal.
Should he fight?
His concern wasn't whether they could win.
Instead, he considered the consequences of a war between Mutants and humans.
If history were altered, would the Avengers still exist?
The future plot would be thrown into complete disarray—where would he even go to check in on the story then?
"Whatever choice you make, I will be the sword in your hand, cutting down all obstacles for you!"
Artoria, standing beside Han Shaoqing, spoke. As a Servant, she was independent-minded but remained bound by her loyalty to Han Shaoqing's commands.
"Professor, deliver a message for me."
After a moment of silence, Han Shaoqing addressed Charles: "The flames of war are merciless. You cannot afford to bear them. Cease your actions immediately. It's not too late to turn back. Once the firing begins, you will be our enemy, and I show no mercy to enemies."
Erik's face lit up with joy, his eyes shining with admiration.
If he were a woman, he might have offered to become Han Shaoqing's wife.
Raven, Sean, Alex, Darwin, Salvador, and the members of Hellfire immediately sided with Han Shaoqing upon hearing his words.
Only Charles, Hank, and Agent Moira remained opposed.
Hank was actually tempted to join them, but after days of Erik's kindness, he didn't want to embarrass him by leaving.
"Wait, I'm contacting my superiors."
Seeing the tide turning against them, Moira sprinted to the supersonic jet and used her communicator to contact the US warship.
"The beach is secure. Cease fire! Cease fire!"
Unfortunately, those people wouldn't stop attacking just because a minor agent like her spoke.
Charles used Telepathy to control several crew members on the ships, making them relay Han Shaoqing's message.
But it backfired. Humans fear what they cannot control. Seeing Charles casually manipulate those around him only intensified their fear and apprehension.
Upon receiving a joint order from their superiors, the commanders of the US-Soviet Fleet immediately ordered the attack.
"Open fire!"
"Open fire!"
*Boom! Boom! Boom...*
Following the command, the cannons of dozens of warships roared in unison. Thousands of shells and missiles, trailing long plumes of smoke, surged toward the small island where Han Shaoqing and his group stood, a relentless, overwhelming wave.
"See? Humanity has declared war on us!"
Facing the storm of fire, Erik spread his arms, manipulating the magnetic field.
Instantly, a powerful magnetic storm erupted, freezing the barrage of shells and missiles in mid-air, unable to advance an inch.
"My God!"
"What kind of monster is this Mutant?!"
"This is a disaster!"
The officers and soldiers on the US-Soviet Fleet watched the spectacular scene with horror.
A single person had single-handedly blocked all the attacks from the world's two most powerful navies. This was completely beyond their comprehension.
He was like a god!
"Charles, look closely. They've proven with their actions that humanity can't be trusted."
As he spoke, Erik made the shells and missiles turn around.
Though Charles was angry and disappointed, his kind-hearted nature prevented him from abandoning them. He pleaded, "Erik, you said we were superior. Now's the time to prove it. There are thousands of people on those ships, and they're innocent. They were just following orders."
"The soldiers back then were just following orders too. That's no excuse for their actions. The moment they launched their attack, they forfeited their innocence."
Han Shaoqing looked at Erik. "Magneto, strike. An eye for an eye. Make them pay for their foolishness."
He had made up his mind. Let the future flood come—anyone who dared to attack his people would die.
To hell with careful consideration. Just act.
Raven looked at Charles with disappointment. "Charles, I used to think you'd join me in fighting this world. But no matter how corrupt it gets, you don't want to fight it. You just want to blend in."
"Professor, I can't help you this time. They've gone too far!"
Hank sighed and walked over to Han Shaoqing's side, leaving Charles isolated.
Erik smiled, raised his hand, and, under the control of the magnetic storm, sent countless missiles and shells hurtling toward the fleet.
Betrayed and abandoned, Charles felt a profound sense of loss. *Was he truly wrong?* He had only wanted to prevent bloodshed and sacrifice!
Seeing the missiles halfway to their targets, Charles cried out desperately, "No, Erik! Stop! You can't do this!"
Even now, Charles wanted to save those who wanted to kill him. Such saintly compassion was both admirable and infuriating.
"Professor, you're a good man!" Han Shaoqing affirmed Charles's intentions, yet still had the diamond-formed White Queen subdue him.
Watching the returning missiles, Han Shaoqing murmured, "Don't worry, Professor. Even if you become the enemy of the entire world, we'll still support you."
Charles was close to tears. "Why would I want to become the enemy of the world? Please, just stop..."
Erik glanced at Han Shaoqing, then at Charles out of the corner of his eye. "If you don't want to, we can help you become the enemy of the world!"
Whether Charles wanted it or not, once the shells hit the fleet, he would have no way back.
-----------------------
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(End of Chapter)