"What astonishing power, Knight of Dawn. Your strength already surpasses all mortals, even among our kind, you are absolutely a top-tier existence. Why do you choose these primitive and ignorant fellows, instead of creating a future for a new humanity with me?"
Magneto shook his head and sighed, expressing his heartfelt admiration for the power the Knight of Dawn displayed. It was precisely because of this that he felt regret for his choice. If such a person stood by his side, his cause would experience a huge leap forward. But he was unfortunately on the opposite side.
Facing Magneto's question, Zhou Yi sneered.
"I protect humans because I get everything I need from them. What can you give me?"
"What do you want? Money?" Magneto waved his hand, and countless metal particles moved and roamed through the city. They gathered in front of Zhou Yi, quickly reorganizing, and in just a few breaths, laid a thick layer of gold bricks in front of him. These were all pure gold of perfect quality.
"If you want it, I can provide you with any amount of gold. Money, in our eyes, is meaningless."
At this point, Magneto shook his head.
"I believe a person like you wouldn't stoop for such shallow things. So, do you desire power or glory? If it's power, I can also give it to you. As long as you stand by my side, you will be the mutant leader second only to me, even if you are not a mutant. Young man, I am already over seventy years old. My body is old and decaying. Perhaps in a few years, my entire cause will fall into your hands. By then, the power you possess will make the world turn its head. Is that not enough?"
"Power holds no appeal for someone like me who doesn't even show his face. Besides, I think if I were to run for election, the title of the next president would probably fall to me. If I really did that, which do you think I would choose?"
"Then the last one, glory!" Magneto's face lost all expression, becoming as rigid as a carved stone statue. "This is also my last chance to you, Knight of Dawn. Stand by my side, and you will become the creator of the future world. Your name will be engraved on the monument of history, revered and worshipped by all new humans in the future. Isn't that more meaningful and valuable than you flying around all day, doing things that police and firefighters should do?"
"Creating the future? Erik, what's the cost? Tell me, what's the cost of creating the future?" Correcting his broken arm, Zhou Yi kicked away the trash beneath his feet and strode forward. He came directly below Magneto, looking up at him and demanding,
Magneto stared at the black knight below. His pride did not allow him to deceive the questioner with lies, because that would also be deceiving himself. So he simply pursed his lips and uttered the coldest words in a low voice.
"The cost is all of this, everything before your eyes. Knight of Dawn, the entire world, all of humanity, are the cost of creating a new world. This is the price they must pay for their actions, and it is the necessary price for humanity to move towards the future. There is no other choice, neither for you nor for me. So, you already know everything you need to know. Tell me your answer."
"The answer is simple, isn't it?" The black knight slowly ascended until he stood before Magneto. "My beloved family and friends are among humanity, and they will become part of your price. What I long to see is unity under the sun, where all things are one. Humans, mutants, and even all other creatures can live in peace like a single tribe, but you insist on dragging them into the vortex of war. Magneto, Erik Lehnsherr. This is our divergence, and my answer is right here!"
"Arrogant, foolish! Useless utopianism, your ideas will always be castles in the air, never becoming reality." Magneto's previously calm face showed an expression of furious rage. He growled in a low voice, his words filled with hatred. "I have seen very clearly how humans have treated me and my brethren these past decades. The hatred between us can never be washed away; only an outsider like you would harbor such ignorant and laughable ideas. I must have been out of my mind to hold even a shred of hope for a fool like you."
At this point, he barely managed to suppress the boiling anger in his heart, looking at Zhou Yi with a gaze of pity.
"It's time for everything to end. You and this damned city should be completely wiped out. Since you worship the sun so much, let the flames from the sun purify you all. Round two, begins!"
Above the Eiffel Tower, an invisible magnetic field lifted Magneto Erik's body. At this moment, he held his hands high, as if holding up something vast and magnificent. And with his movements, a deep power swept across the surface and quickly permeated deep into the earth.
A slightly itchy sensation spread across everyone's skin; it was the feeling of being brushed by an electrified magnetic field. Ordinary people might only have such a slight sensation, but for Zhou Yi, whose perception was extremely powerful, he felt something much stronger.
A sufficiently deep magnetic field force penetrated into the earth, stirring up even greater power from deep within the core. When this power trembled and awakened, even Zhou Yi began to marvel at its might. It was the immense power from the Earth itself, the Earth's own geomagnetic force. At this moment, Magneto was using his power to awaken the immense geomagnetic force, and by controlling it, he intended to achieve his goal.
Under his control, the geomagnetism began to show some disorder. This disorder might not have a major impact on the Earth's landmass itself, but for the geomagnetic field that surrounds the planet Earth and protects it, it had an incalculable effect.
Magneto struggled to control his power; even for him, controlling such a massive magnetic field was a complex and difficult undertaking. This was one of his trump cards, and he had not originally wanted to use this method to end the Knight of Dawn, but after his final persuasion failed, he resolutely decided to play this card.
This was his rebuttal to the Knight of Dawn's ridiculous ideals, and also his declaration of war on the human world. Once he succeeded, he would use Rogue's hands to spread the mutated magnetic storm to every corner of the world. Humanity would usher in the era of mutants. Then, this day would become the eternally commemorated beginning of the revolution.
With this concept, which was grand for mutants, he infused his will into the deeper layers of the Earth's magnetic field. The Earth's magnetic field had, at this moment, formed a harmonious resonance with him.
Each of his movements drove the operation of the magnetic field, causing the geomagnetic field to subtly shift with his actions.
And when he held up his hands, making a parting gesture towards the sky, the most terrifying thing happened. The sky began to turn pitch black, as if a huge gate stood in the firmament, and at this moment, this gate was truly being opened by him, with the other side of the gate connected to endless hell.
Brilliant light surged from the pitch-black sky. Clouds, atmosphere, and even the blue of the sky were gradually sucked into the endless darkness by this brilliant light. Through that endless darkness, people's eyes could even see the vast and boundless space.
After those scattered lights flowed like a long river through the pitch-black gate into vast space, a fiery golden light surged in, overwhelming everything. Under that overwhelming golden light, the long river was instantly dyed gold, and in this goldenness, everything turned to ashes.
That was the terrifying sight of solar wind pouring into the Earth's magnetic field protection sphere, incinerating everything. And this was all Magneto had done.
In this universe, most of space is dark, and most of the limited light comes from the glow of stars. Stars constantly emit light and heat, and all the planets around them are bathed in their brilliance, just like the sun and its surrounding planets.
However, not everyone can withstand the sun's brilliance. For example, Mercury, the closest planet, has a surface that can melt metal. Even for Earth, which is at a moderate distance, the sun's brilliance is too intense. The solar wind it blows, if it swept over Earth, would be enough to incinerate everything on the Earth's surface. The reason the Earth's surface can nurture oceans and even life is entirely due to the protection of the Earth's magnetic field. The magnetic field acts like a giant shield, blocking the solar wind. And now, this shield has been opened with a large hole.
Magneto gradually diminished the outer magnetic field. The external vacuum suppressed Earth's gravity, pulling everything beneath this large hole into the space environment. Whether it was the atmosphere, clouds, or scattered light, everything was sucked away. And as these fillers flew into space, the sun's fierce wind had already surged in through this large hole. It was the sun's hurricane, capable of incinerating all things.
"Are you insane, Erik?" Zhou Yi cried out in disbelief, witnessing all of this. This was no longer a duel, but true destruction.
"You can consider me insane then. I want to see how the Knight of Dawn will salvage such a situation. Witness the sun's hurricane, and then turn to ashes beneath it." Magneto laughed, widening the large hole in the magnetic field even further. Golden fluid had already gathered in outer space, swirling into a terrifying beam of light.
The Earth now resembled a windshield with a small hole being drilled into it. For the glass itself, this might not be a major issue. However, the impact on objects near the small hole would be far greater than on the glass itself.
Because all fluids converged through this small hole. And now, the solar wind was about to pour into Earth through the magnetic fissure opened by Magneto. When they hit the ground, it would be the beginning of destruction.
"Medusa, give me a solution!" For this kind of microscopic physical optical storm, he was completely at a loss. He could only turn to his intelligent computer, hoping to find a solution from her.
"Analysis initiated. Based on calculations, the most rational approach is to evacuate this location and reshape the external magnetic field to cut off the source of the solar wind."
"I want a solution, not a way to save myself. Do you understand?" Zhou Yi roared. The fact that he was yelling at a computer showed the extent of his panic.
"Yes, sir. According to calculations, there is only one way to solve this problem."