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Chapter 82 - Chapter 83: This Woman Belongs to Me

At that moment, Martin was a storm of terrifying cosmic laws. Every step he took shimmered with brilliant radiance, as if he had become the absolute center of the universe itself.

All things, beings, matter, even thought, seemed compelled to kneel before him.

His aura radiated not just raw power but the indomitable will of a conqueror. His face, already handsome and sharply defined, now exuded a deadly intensity, a blade honed by boundless confidence.

Before such a Martin, the trembling, battered figure of William Stryker looked like nothing more than a pathetic jester in a god's court.

Martin barely spared him a glance. He stepped past Stryker, the so-called genius who still knew nothing of true power, and turned his gaze toward the figure beside Professor X: the Great Illusionist.

A powerful telepathic mutant. Tier 4 classification. A threat who had once overridden Professor X's mind and puppeteered him like a marionette. Now, Martin looked at him with mild curiosity.

"You're an anomaly on Earth as well," he mused, interest flickering in his eyes.

Stryker coughed blood, his internal organs beginning to rupture. Not from an attack, not from any direct force, just from being in Martin's presence.

He was, after all, merely a clever mortal. But before a being like Martin, a mere thought could unravel the body at a cellular level.

Martin didn't even lift a finger. Just the exertion of his will was enough to begin killing Stryker.

And yet, he walked calmly toward the Great Illusionist.

The mutant sat silently in his wheelchair, watching Stryker near death. His unfeeling eyes finally shifted slightly, betraying the barest flicker of fatigue. A mental signal lanced into Martin's mind.

"Become my slave."

The mutant's gaze bored into Martin as countless illusions burst forth like waves. Layer upon layer, illusion upon illusion, all targeting Martin's mind.

Martin chuckled. "Interesting. You actually tried to trap me in illusions?"

The world around him morphed and shimmered.

With a flick of his hand, he shattered the first illusion. Then another, and another. But they kept coming, an infinite hall of mirrors.

In some illusions, he found himself right back in front of the Great Illusionist, but even those were fakes.

Falsehoods wrapped in truth. Reality blended with unreality. An endless maze of perception.

But to Martin, it was all just... mildly amusing.

The Mind Stone pulsed to life.

WHRRRRMMM!

A storm of mental force burst forth. The illusions crumbled like dry leaves. One by one. Effortlessly.

CRACK!

Back in the real world, the Great Illusionist spat blood. From his eyes, nose, and mouth, more blood flowed, his mind unraveling under the relentless assault. And yet, what little remained of his will clung stubbornly to hatred. His eyes, vacant and numb, still burned with venom.

Martin smiled as he reached him. He extended his right hand and grabbed the mutant by the throat, lifting him out of the wheelchair like he weighed nothing at all.

"No—let go of my son!!" Stryker screamed, blood in his eyes. He lunged forward in desperation.

SPLAT!

With a casual flick, Martin swatted Stryker away like an insect. His body slammed against the wall with a sickening crack, then collapsed into pulp. A red smear painted the concrete in a grotesque silhouette.

"..."

The Great Illusionist let out a wordless scream of agony.

"Martin! Stop!" Professor X finally regained control of his mind, horror dawning in his eyes. "He's just a child! He's been brainwashed, manipulated by Stryker!"

"I understand, Professor," Martin said with a courteous nod.

CRACK.

With a slight twist, he crushed the mutant's neck. The body dropped to the floor.

"You're welcome."

There was grace in his posture. Elegance. As if he'd been trained in high society etiquette since childhood. Even the act of murder carried an air of poise. He turned toward the now-clear-headed Professor X, offering a warm smile.

Professor X sighed heavily and turned away, mourning silently.

"Jean has lost control," he said, quickly regaining composure. "I can feel it. Hatred, pain... a desire to destroy. The Dark Phoenix persona has completely consumed her. If we don't stop her... the entire Earth could be annihilated."

"She won't," Martin said flatly. "Neither I nor the Ancient One would ever allow such a pitiful fragment of the Phoenix Force to destroy the Earth."

Let's be honest, if a single Dark Phoenix shard could annihilate Earth, that'd be insulting.

Yes, the Phoenix Force was powerful, possibly omniversal in its full form, but this? This was a mere shard. The Phoenix Force was scattered across the multiverse in pieces. Thinking that this sliver could end Earth?

Was that supposed to be a joke?

What, did people think so little of the Ancient One? Of him?

Now, if we were talking about the Scarlet Witch, drawing upon the Chaos Force siphoned from Set the Serpent God? Then maybe we'd have something to worry about.

If Wanda snapped... Martin wouldn't even stay to curse, he'd be gone faster than light.

A Chaos Pulse from an enraged Wanda could reboot the multiverse itself. Unless you were omniversal-tier, touching her meant instant death.

"Charles," Martin said, eyes glittering with confidence, "this world is far more wondrous than you imagine. Don't limit your perspective."

FWIP!

The door burst open. Three streaks of silver light shot into the room.

Yuriko, Lady Deathstrike, charged in from the hallway. Her claws extended, her expression twisted with rage.

"Don't kill her!" Professor X shouted, preparing to intervene with his telepathy.

But Martin's eyes lit up.

"Beta Adamantium. This woman's mine."

He vanished in a blur, reappearing behind Yuriko and striking her neck in a precise motion. At the same time, the Mind Stone pulsed again, seizing control of her mind.

A perfect soldier.

She was Stryker's other masterpiece, another Wolverine, with her own regenerative factor. But hers had merged perfectly with true Adamantium, resulting in the rare Beta Adamantium: fully bonded, unbreakable metal and rapid healing.

Martin caught her as she fell, admiring her as one would a sculpture.

"Beautiful," he said softly.

Professor X opened his mouth to protest... then closed it. Another long sigh.

BOOOOOM!

The dam around them began collapsing, the structural supports annihilated by Jean's rampage.

CRASHHH!

A tidal wave of water surged in.

"CHARLES!!"

A voice bellowed as Magneto smashed through the wall, eyes wild. He paused as he saw Xavier returned to normal. Disappointment flickered in his gaze.

He had hoped to use Xavier to eliminate all humans in one fell swoop.

"Long time no see, Martin," Magneto said, with the briefest of smiles. "You've become... remarkable."

"But this isn't the time for pleasantries. Jean's coming this way. If we don't stop her, everyone except you is going to die."

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