The ground below rumbled violently as intense explosions sent layers of rock and soil flying.
Chaotic magnetic storms combined with scorching high temperatures turned the abandoned campsite into a hellish sea of fire.
As Magneto hovered mid-air, thick smoke and flames formed a massive mushroom cloud. His purple robe flapped fiercely in the surging shockwaves.
He didn't let his guard down. This level of attack wasn't enough to kill Sean. Though the devastation beneath his feet was terrifying, akin to apocalyptic disaster, it would at most inflict some damage, far from fatal.
As a former defeated foe, Magneto knew Sean's strength all too well... his prehistoric beast-like physique, rapid healing, supersonic flight, energy manipulation…
The man seemed to have no weaknesses, which left no openings. The only reason Magneto appeared to have the upper hand and seemed to be suppressing Sean was because he had seized the initiative and unleashed an overwhelming assault. Once Sean counterattacked, it would be with thunderous, devastating force.
Amid the molten metal-scorching inferno, a figure parted the waves of heat. The earth trembled, the air roared, and in an instant, Sean closed the distance to Magneto.
Those deep, shadowed eyes locked onto the seasoned mutant leader, burning with a cold fire that exuded a bone-chilling aura...
"Got any other tricks?"
The low, rumbling voice reached Magneto's ears, and the old man's heart clenched. His relentless barrage of attacks had not even scratched his opponent.
Sean raised his hand. The air trembled faintly as invisible shockwaves rippled outward, echoing like a chain of exploding barrels.
Magneto's instincts screamed danger. He tried to retreat, but then Sean clenched his fist.
It was a simple motion, like a spark igniting a fuse...
*BOOM!*
...but a series of violent explosions erupted in succession!
The dense magnetic field lines instantly collapsed, and the once-impenetrable electromagnetic shield shattered!
A gale-force wind slammed into Magneto, making it hard for him to breathe, as if a mountain were crushing down on him. The overwhelming sense of peril was suffocating.
He hastily conjured layers of magnetic shields, rapidly retreating out of Sean's attack range. His mind reached deep into Earth's magnetic core, straining to harness its power.
For a fleeting moment, Magneto was reminded of the past... Back when he and his old friend, Charles, were young. Back then, his mastery over his abilities was still unrefined, driven solely by anger.
It wasn't until he met Charles that he learned to channel his emotions, using them to fuel his power, elevating his control to new heights.
Tapping into Earth's magnetic field now felt like his younger self struggling to move that impossibly heavy radio tower. Even with all his might, it barely budged.
The distant spectators suddenly felt the earth quake, mountains trembling. They hurriedly retreated further away.
John and the others gaped in shock as the ground began to rise. Chunks of metal-rich ore tore free from the earth, defying gravity as massive slabs of bedrock were ripped from the ground and hurled skyward.
High above, Sean raised an eyebrow in surprise. Magneto had pushed his macro-level control even further, faintly brushing against the planet's colossal magnetic core. The entire valley groaned as if the heavens were collapsing.
"Quite the showman," Sean muttered with a light chuckle.
Compared to his old friend Charles, Magneto had always been one for grand spectacles; lifting the Golden Gate Bridge, moving an entire football stadium, controlling submarines, demolishing Manhattan skyscrapers…
His resume of feats was legendary.
Golden flames erupted as Sean's feet pulsed with energy. A thick beam of raw power slashed horizontally, cutting through the incoming bedrock like a hot knife through butter, shattering it mid-air.
But Magneto wasn't done...
With his arms spread, pre-prepared vibranium liquefied, reshaping into hundreds of gleaming steel spears.
Sean's brow furrowed slightly as he watched the hundreds of vibranium lances shoot into the sky, vanishing into the clouds in the blink of an eye. After a second of contemplation, he realized Magneto's plan.
The veteran mutant leader was pulling out all the stops to maximize lethality.
First, electromagnetic railguns. Now, orbital kinetic bombardment.
In less than two minutes, the vast blue sky darkened as razor-sharp vibranium spears plummeted from the clouds. Friction ignited them into blazing fireballs, streaking down toward Sean like divine retribution.
Sweat beaded on Magneto's forehead. During their rapid descent, he had to continuously adjust the spears' trajectories to ensure they struck true, a feat that required immense precision.
The younger version of himself could never have managed this. But after suffering rare defeats, he had delved deeper into his powers, seeking greater mastery.
The silver-white vibranium spears which were wreathed in flames carved white-hot trails through the atmosphere, their ear-splitting shrieks tearing through the air as they zeroed in on Sean.
*BOOM!* *BOOM!* *BOOM!* *BOOM!* *BOOM!*
Sean's figure blurred as the relentless impacts shook the earth. The spears punched through the bedrock like paper, their terrifying kinetic energy blasting craters into the ground.
The shockwaves rippled outward, forcing the mutant armies and the Brotherhood who had been watching from a safe distance to retreat even further.
Rock turned to dust under the onslaught. Molten lava spewed from fissures, flooding the ravaged battlefield.
The superheated air ionized, filling the area with the stench of scorched earth. The expanding shockwaves shredded debris into fine powder, whipping it into towering dust storms.
Far away, tribal leaders sensed the aftershocks of the battle. Those who understood the truth paled in terror. Even Wakanda's protector, the Black Panther, seemed insignificant before this godlike devastation.
Magneto hovered in mid-air, gasping for breath. He had exhausted every tactic. Even the Hulk, with his nigh-invulnerable hide, would have been flayed alive under such relentless assault.
As the smoke cleared, Sean stood unscathed amidst the ruins, a single vibranium spear gripped in his hand. He glanced at Magneto, then casually flicked his wrist.
*CRACK!*
The air detonated like thunder. Magneto's face twisted in horror as he frantically wove new magnetic fields into a defensive barrier.
The vibranium spear collided with the electromagnetic shield.
For an instant, the world seemed to freeze... the roiling clouds halted, the raging winds stilled.
Then–
*FLASH!*
The earth quaked as a blinding light engulfed the sky...