Magneto raised his hand, and several twisting steel beams intertwined, forming thick metal spikes...
Propelled by magnetic force, they tore through the air as they shot toward Sean who stood at the center of the bar.
"Reckless?" The young man snorted softly, feeling the sharp wind rushing toward him.
Surging power coursed through his body, and a faint golden light enveloped the surface of his black combat suit.
He reached out and grasped the massive, serpent-like metal spike as if it had plunged into solid rock. Even under magnetic control, it couldn't break free. The sharp metal spike vibrated violently, emitting a piercing, buzzing hum.
Golden energy surged from his palm, and with a tremendous force, the struggling metal spike was torn apart with a mournful screech.
Sean looked up at Magneto who was encased in his sturdy fortress, his eyes cold and indifferent. With a powerful push from his legs, the wooden floor beneath him shattered, and the air exploded with a muffled thunderous explosion!
*BANG!*
In Magneto's vision, the black figure shot through the air like an arrow, appearing before him in an instant.
A heavy fist slammed into the thick steel plate like a cannonball striking metal.
Caught off guard, the veteran master of magnetism was sent flying out of the bar. The wall collapsed into a gaping hole, and icy wind carrying snowflakes rushed in.
Sean pressed his advantage...
With another muffled impact, the black figure flashed forward like lightning, delivering a whip-like kick to the twisted steel plate.
Before the dazed Magneto could recover, he was sent flying again. His defensive fortress was already deeply dented, clearly unable to withstand many more such brutal attacks.
The dark steel fortress crashed into a large truck parked outside the bar. The multi-ton vehicle flipped over upon impact.
Seconds later, a deafening explosion erupted as flames surged like a tidal wave. The intense heat melted the snow-covered ground. A disheveled Magneto, still shielded by his steel, burst through the flames and fled at high speed.
His majestic purple robe was singed and stained with sweat. Magneto levitated mid-air by manipulating the magnetic field. His initial carelessness had nearly cost him the fight against the relentless young man.
The opponent's immense physical strength and lightning-fast speed had caught the Brotherhood's leader off guard, dealing him a heavy blow!
The black figure stood firm in the snow, framed by the raging inferno behind him. Flames twisted and danced, melting the falling snowflakes into droplets that evaporated into thin wisps of smoke.
"Not bad," Magneto conceded grudgingly.
As a seasoned veteran among mutants, he wasn't one to admit defeat easily. Wiping sweat from his brow, his previous dismissive attitude shifted to one of caution.
Raising both hands, the dilapidated bar trembled violently. Even the snow-covered trucks nearby weren't spared. Any object containing metal was summoned by the magnetic force, surging toward the airborne elder like a raging storm!
His momentary lapse had allowed Sean to gain the upper hand, but now, with distance between them, Magneto could control the endless tide of metal at will. He could toy with the young man, who lacked long-range attack capabilities, and watch as he was torn apart by the storm of steel.
The unsupported bar collapsed with a thunderous crash. Dozens of cargo trucks were dismantled, their metal fragments joining the swirling storm. Razor-sharp blades of steel, thin yet deadly, reflected a cold merciless glow.
Magneto, his robes billowing dramatically, resembled a stern general setting up an impenetrable defense. Sean's blistering speed and overwhelming strength had left a lasting impression.
"Are you a military super-soldier? Or one of Stryker's experiments... some abomination stitched together from mutant genes?"
The mutant leader's taunt carried on the howling wind, reaching Sean's ears. The young man merely smiled faintly and looked up at Magneto who believed himself untouchable.
"Warm-up is over!" The declaration cut through the snowstorm.
Then, Sean shot forward like a fighter jet at full throttle. The ground beneath his feet cracked like a spiderweb as a deafening boom echoed through the night sky!
"Arrogant fool." Magneto sneered.
Blades of metal, sharp enough to slice through flesh, shot out like predatory birds, intercepting the airborne figure.
The experienced mutant leader knew Sean couldn't fly, he was merely leaping with sheer physical power. With precise control, Magneto wove a net of death from the whirling metal blades, aiming to ensnare the black figure mid-air.
Amid the thunderous impacts, Sean who radiated cold killing intent kicked aside the high-velocity metal projectiles.
Then, a faint golden glow surrounded him, forming an impervious forcefield. The incoming blades collided with it, producing dull, resonant thuds.
Landing lightly on one of the blades, Sean pushed off, using it as a springboard to launch himself toward Magneto again.
Like a diving eagle, his silhouette, illuminated by the blazing inferno, cut through the darkness like black lightning.
Thick metal plates rose to shield Magneto. With the finesse of a master conductor, he plucked the strings of magnetism, sending the swirling storm of metal into a frenzy.
The air hummed with the vibrations of countless blades, their eerie chorus echoing across the desolate landscape. As a veteran among mutants, he knew how to control the battlefield, shrinking the arena step by step.
To the helmeted elder in his regal purple-and-red robes, Sean's relentless assault was futile. By tightening the noose of the metal storm, he could gradually crush the young man. No matter how strong or fast his opponent was, trapped within the steel tempest, he would eventually kneel in surrender.
With a flick of his wrist, the metal blades Sean had kicked away transformed into dozens of sharpened spikes, raining down like javelins!
Amid the shrill whistling, a solid energy barrier materialized and deflected the assault.
Yet Magneto only smirked. Twisting the magnetic threads once more, the disarmed metal melted and reformed into countless resilient wires, weaving into a net that expanded upward, ensnaring Sean from below.
The magnetically controlled net closed like a giant's fist aiming to trap the dodging figure. Above, a spinning blade sealed off any escape route, while the surrounding storm of metal tightened its grip. The lightning-fast black figure found every exit blocked.
Even with the formidable energy barrier, once caught in the steel web, any chance of breaking free would vanish. What followed would be an endless onslaught... the waiting storm of metal ready to grind Sean into pulp!
A triumphant grin spread across the elder's face. Victory was within reach. The trap was set. No matter how ferocious the prey, all that remained was to enjoy the spectacle of a cornered beast's struggle.
Once this mysterious opponent was defeated, Magneto would descend like a god to rescue his imperiled Brotherhood members.
His indomitable prestige would soar, uniting the scattered mutants under his banner. Not even his old friend Charles could stand in his way then!