As soon as Sebastian Shaw finished speaking, Erik immediately waved his hands. All the metal weapons on the walls—swords, knives, and more—rose into the air like a meteor shower and surged toward Sebastian Shaw.
Nightcrawler Azazel and Riptide were startled and quickly dodged to either side, but Psylocke (Elizabeth) and Angel (Warren) blocked their escape routes.
"Don't even think about running!" Psylocke extended two fingers like a blade. Violet energy stretched from her wrists into two glowing swords, slashing directly at Azazel's throat and heart. She had no mercy for murderers—when she struck, it was with lethal intent.
Azazel felt the heat from the energy blades about to tear through his skin. His pupils shrank, and he turned into black smoke, retreating and vanishing—only to reappear behind Elizabeth. Like her, he aimed directly at vital spots—her heart, throat, and brain.
But Elizabeth seemed to have eyes on her back. Her forward strike instantly changed direction, the energy sword curving behind her and forming a violet arc.
Azazel was startled again. His twin daggers were cleaved in half, his tail retracted, and he vanished once more—retreating from Elizabeth's deadly aura.
"You're not getting away!" she shouted, leaping after him out of the building.
Meanwhile, Riptide tried to control the storm to bring down Angel from the sky, but Angel danced between the cyclones, sometimes gliding, sometimes dodging. Even when caught in the vortex, he quickly broke free and steadied himself.
But the room was too small to move freely. Angel gritted his teeth and dove straight at Riptide, grabbing his waist, and the two of them crashed through a wall into the open outside.
…
Inside, the less battle-ready Hank and Raven stood guard by Pixie to prevent any backstabbing.
Everyone else surrounded Sebastian Shaw—but none dared attack recklessly, especially Sunfire (Shiro Yoshida), whose power was completely countered by Shaw. Any energy he released would only make Shaw stronger.
Erik's sudden attack hadn't harmed Shaw at all. The moment the swords touched him, they fell to the ground, drained of all force. From within Shaw, an increasingly terrifying aura emanated.
"Charles," Erik called quietly.
"I'll try." Charles raised his fingers to his temple.
Pixie immediately tried to stop him. "No—!"
Too late.
Pfft—!
Charles coughed up blood and collapsed, face pale.
"Charles!" Darwin (Armando) rushed to catch him, worried.
"I couldn't get in… That power… wild, violent, furious, bloodthirsty… like facing a god…" Charles said weakly.
"I told him not to do it—idiot!" Pixie cursed and took a few steps back, clearly ready to run now that she'd lost faith in the group.
But Raven and Hank were already onto her. They flanked her on either side.
"Charles, take the others and handle the rest. Calvin and I will stay here and face him," Erik said.
"Alright." Charles didn't argue—he was in no shape to fight.
Once everyone else had cleared out, Erik turned to Calvin (Mimic). "I'll give you an opening. Copy his power. It's the only way we have a shot."
"Okay—urk!"
Before Calvin could finish, Sebastian Shaw appeared in front of him and punched him in the gut, sending him crashing through the wall and flying who-knows-where.
"Erik, Erik, after all these years, you're still so foolish. Did you really think this ragtag group could defeat me?" Shaw appeared in front of Erik, grabbed his collar, and slammed him down. The floor cracked. Erik let out a stifled scream.
"Feel it? This is power! With this, I am a god! And gods will rule this world!" Shaw declared arrogantly.
"Heh… a god?" Erik coughed up blood, smirked, and sneered, "Sebastian Shaw, you've never… cough… seen a god."
"Oh? Interesting. So you have?" Shaw lifted Erik by the collar again, smirking. "Is that what you're saying?"
"Why don't you guess?" Erik chuckled coldly.
Boom!
Shaw slammed him down again.
Pfft—
Erik coughed up more blood, now weak and fading fast.
"Dysmas, you bastard… If you don't show up now… I'm really gonna die…" Erik gritted his teeth.
"Oh? Looks like you have a helper? Where could he be…?"
Whoosh—!
A golden beam sliced through space and struck Shaw in the chest, smashing him into the wall.
"Well, well, Erik, you look like a mess," Dysmas (Deathmask) said teasingly, carrying the unconscious Calvin on his shoulder.
"Shut it, bastard."
"Tsk, no gratitude at all." Dysmas helped Erik up and handed him Calvin. Then his smile vanished, replaced by serious focus. "Leave. Now. Go as far as you can. You can't be part of this fight."
"…Alright." Erik had never seen Dysmas so solemn and didn't argue. He took Calvin and left.
Boom—
Rubble exploded. Shaw emerged, now wearing a helmet glowing orange-red, his body fully armored.
"Did you hire a theater actor or something? A strong one, maybe. Still, how dare you hit me?" Shaw mocked.
"This cosmos… unmistakable. The war god Ares…" Dysmas confirmed silently, then mocked in return, "Yeah, call me an actor if you want, but old man, getting beat up by one? That'd be embarrassing."
"Good! You've made me angry! Now you'll witness the wrath of a god!" Shaw's face twisted. Influenced by Ares' helmet, he lost his calm and became furious and bloodthirsty.
"The wrath of a god? Heh… been there, done that. But you? You're not worthy." Dysmas raised his right hand, a blue glow swirling around one finger. "Sekishiki Meikaiha!"
The glowing energy darted toward Shaw.
"This slow little trick? What is thi—ahh!!"
Before it even touched him, Shaw clutched his head in agony. The helmet began to constrict, like it would crush his skull. Blood leaked from his facial features.
"No… still not enough! I have to force Ares' soul out!"
Dysmas pushed his cosmos to the limit, maximizing the power of Sekishiki Meikaiha. He could no longer worry about Shaw's soul. If he couldn't separate Ares from Shaw, they were all doomed.
"Stop! Damn you! Stop it! You ant!" The voice changed—no longer Shaw's, but deep, booming, oppressive. Shaw's eyes turned blood-red.
"Crap! Not good!" Dysmas jumped back, but too late.
An orange-red fist struck his chest, cracking his Gold Cloth armor. Dysmas coughed blood and flew back through a wall.
Pfft—Cough cough "Damn… I let my guard down…" he muttered, wiping blood from his mouth. But without hesitation, he charged back in.
"So it's you again—Saint Seiya! Athena's lapdogs! This time! This time I will not lose! I… I…"
Suddenly, Ares' aura became unstable. His expression twisted in pain. He clutched his head, struggling.
"No! I am Ares, God of War! Submit to me!"
"I'm the god! Don't try to take… my body!"
Clearly, Shaw's soul hadn't been fully devoured. Now, the two were fighting for control of the body—Dysmas's perfect chance.
"Now's my chance—Sekishiki Konsōha!"
Sekishiki Konsōha—a technique that uses the soul as gunpowder, burning it explosively. The stronger the soul, the stronger the blast. It's Cancer's most devastating technique.
Dysmas had been gathering spirit energy since Ares showed up. Now, he unleashed it all.
His golden fist smashed into Shaw's right cheek, and blue flames erupted. The land was leveled, a massive crater formed, and the blinding light engulfed both Dysmas and Shaw—making it impossible to tell who emerged victorious.