Outside the battlefield, a C-141 transport aircraft hovered in the sky...
Dressed in red and black tight-fitting attire, Elektra, along with the bald old man beside her, watched the intense battle unfolding in the mountainous forest through satellite-transmitted footage.
In the spacious rear cabin, aside from Mystique (Raven Darkhölme), the other members of the Brotherhood were all confined within electrified iron cages.
While Magneto was lured into a trap, they too suffered a devastating blow. The elite ninjas of the Hand had infiltrated the Brotherhood's secret base.
With the aid of copious amounts of anesthetic gas and mutant-suppressing drugs, the mutants, who had previously held their own against entire armies, were rendered nearly powerless against the fully armed elite warriors.
Even formidable beings like the Juggernaut, with his thick skin and immunity to bullets, could only submit like docile lambs when faced with guns loaded with mutant-suppressing drugs and adamantium bullets.
In truth, well-trained elite forces equipped with means to counter mutants could easily dominate them. Combined with the premeditated use of anesthetic gas, the Brotherhood members were effortlessly captured in one fell swoop.
"Erik's strength is not to be underestimated. Without a way to counter his abilities, defeating him would be impossible," the Professor remarked as he observed the fierce battle on the screen.
Based on the power Sean had displayed so far, he was no match for Magneto.
Having been both friends and adversaries for years, Charles knew Erik all too well. With his formidable magnetic abilities, Erik had rarely encountered a true rival. Ever since acquiring the helmet that shielded him from telepathy, even the Professor could not harm him in a one-on-one confrontation.
"You place too much faith in your old friend," Elektra sneered.
She harbored an inexplicable, unwavering confidence in Sean. As she watched the shadowy figure dodging and weaving on the screen, the new leader of the Hand showed no trace of concern.
The man who had dragged her into the abyss of darkness never engaged in battles he couldn't win. Unnoticed, Elektra rested the hand holding her iron sai against the Professor's back...
...
On the battlefield, time seemed to slow. Sean's gaze was calm as the golden torrent within him surged violently.
His fists clenched, releasing a torrent of energy from his body. An invisible force field erupted into a raging storm, expanding outward in all directions. The air itself seemed to ignite like volatile gunpowder, the thunderous explosions shaking the earth!
The converging steel wires were pulverized by the terrifying energy, while the surging shockwaves twisted and deformed the metal blades like a hurricane.
A golden radiance erupted like a sword piercing through darkness, as the shadowy figure wreathed in thunderous force tore through the void and crashed into the stunned Magneto!
Feeling the unending surge of power within him, Sean propelled himself off floating metal debris, each step unleashing tremendous force that sent ripples through the air. It was as though he were moving through viscous tides... only, his superhuman physique allowed him to tear through the intense air resistance.
Amidst the relentless muffled booms, the black figure closed the distance in an instant!
Snapping back to reality, Magneto raised layer after layer of steel shields with a wave of his hand. But the shadowy figure merely smirked coldly, his fists shattering the thick, reinforced metal like paper.
The mutant leader was jolted awake from his delusions, and hastily manipulated the magnetic field, summoning nearby metal like tidal waves while retreating rapidly, desperate to avoid letting his terrifying opponent get close.
The metal objects disintegrated and dispersed, melting into countless smooth, gleaming steel spheres that reflected the pale moonlight. They arranged themselves in orderly formations mid-air, and at their master's command, they surged forth like an overwhelming silver tide, unleashing a deafening shockwave!
Thousands of steel spheres spun at high speed, their friction generating sparks of blazing white lightning...
This was Magneto's trump card, originally intended for the troublesome X-Men but now unleashed prematurely upon Sean...
Carrying immense kinetic energy and penetrative force, the spheres scattered in all directions, weaving back and forth like a deadly net of crackling electricity.
An overwhelming pressure bore down like an icy gust. Sean took a deep breath as snowflakes swirled around him. In his mind's eye, he could see countless silver threads extended from Magneto's body, forming a dazzling intricate magnetic field. Some of the nearly imperceptible threads even reached deep into the earth.
Had this master of magnetism attained the ability to manipulate the planet's core or polar magnetic fields, Sean would never have dared oppose him. Such unimaginable power could effortlessly destroy an entire world!
"Though you are not one of my kind, you are far superior to ordinary humans. If you join the Brotherhood, there will still be a place for you in the world to come."
Magneto spread his arms as the omnipresent magnetic forces responded to his will. The gleaming steel spheres spun faster, their shrieking whine growing ever more piercing.
For the leader of the Brotherhood, even this much patience was a rare concession. If this fool still refused to yield, he would be torn apart by the storm of electrified steel!
Sean plummeted from the sky like a cannonball and cratered the ground with a web of fissures. He glanced at Magneto, who commanded the silver tide, and shook his head slightly as the energy within him reached its peak.
The gleaming steel spheres expanded, rotating faster as faint electricity crackled around them. The intense magnetic field distorted the very air, making it seem like shattered glass reflecting bizarre, shifting images.
"You've squandered your last chance." Magneto swung his arm, and the steel spheres, now wreathed in blazing sparks, shot forth like electromagnetic railgun rounds, their scorching penetrative force capable of shredding even the toughest metal bodies.
Sean's eyes narrowed. A crimson beam erupted from his palm and collided with the oncoming spheres, triggering a deafening explosion.
*Boooom!*
The white-haired old man hovering mid-air looked startled. He hadn't expected his opponent to possess such an ability. His face darkened with anger as he intensified the magnetic field, the spinning spheres forming an impenetrable barrier.
The spheres arranged meticulously in the air and bombarded their target like artillery shells. The night sky lit up with fiery explosions as Sean's crimson beams (like molten blades) intercepted and detonated the incoming steel orbs. The earth trembled under the onslaught, and towering fir trees toppled like dominoes.
Magneto's eyes flickered with cold killing intent. While he controlled the barrage of spheres, he also subtly manipulated scattered metal fragments on the ground. He couldn't fathom how a new powerhouse had emerged among humans, but one thing was clear: this man stood in the way of mutantkind's ascent.
After his impassioned speech in Manhattan, the aging leader had begun pondering the future of mutants. He realized that while his kind held a combat advantage over human armies, they lagged far behind in numbers and organization.
Thus, the Brotherhood's leader resolved to gather more of his kind and bide his time. Perhaps mutants weren't yet ready to challenge humanity, but one day, as their numbers grew, they would rule the world!
And when that day came, Magneto would be the great leader who guided his people to glory!
Shaking off his reverie, the old man, his robes flapping in the wind, steeled himself to end this battle. The young always overestimated themselves, believing nothing could stand in their way. Such arrogance rarely ended well.
The metal fragments around Sean writhed like living things, forming razor-sharp needles that glinted coldly in the snow. Hidden in the muck, they silently closed in. Suddenly, Magneto noticed Sean's movements falter...
'Recklessly unleashing energy beams must have taken its toll...' Magneto deduced.
Seizing this fleeting opportunity, Magneto willed the needles to strike. Like a swarm of deadly wasps, they lunged, eager to pierce flesh and drink warm blood!
The spinning needles tore through the air like a storm. Yet Sean's lips curled into a faint smile. He spread his arms, then clenched his fists violently...
A torrent of energy erupted, igniting the air like countless barrels of gunpowder. The explosions roared endlessly, the shockwaves kicking up dust and debris.
The dense swarm of needles crumbled as if crushed by an immense force. A sonic boom shook the earth as the Sean tore through the turbulent air, closing the distance in less than a second. His cold eyes locked onto the stunned Magneto.
With unstoppable momentum, he shattered every defense!
A powerful hand seized the mutant leader's throat. The icy grip of death enveloped the old man, as though an endless blizzard had frozen him solid. One more second, and he would be a lifeless corpse.
"Thank your old friend. If not for Professor Xavier including you as part of the deal, I would have snapped your neck myself!"
Sean ripped off Magneto's helmet and unleashed a surge of energy, reducing the telepathy-blocking artifact to dust.
Returning to solid ground, Sean tore off his tattered black combat suit. Even its specialized material couldn't withstand the power he had unleashed.
He tossed the disheveled old man aside, his dark eyes exuding an abyssal aura, like the void itself.
"Mutants will rise, but that future has nothing to do with you." Sean gazed at the night sky and murmured, "The old era is over..."