Compared to ordinary people, Mayor—after transforming into a red-skinned demon—possessed a terrifyingly powerful physique. Judging purely by appearance, the density of his muscle fibers and the hardened texture of his skin didn't seem inferior to the Hulk's raw durability. His frame radiated brute force, and every inch of him looked forged for destruction rather than defense.
Even so, Richard was absolutely certain of one thing. Mayor could not withstand the FS Dimension Slash.
Forget the fully empowered FS version. Even an ordinary Dimension Slash would be enough to end him. The reason was simple and brutally logical: this wasn't a conventional physical attack. Space-cutting properties ignored the traditional concept of durability. Flesh and bone—no matter how reinforced—were fundamentally ill-suited to resist a spatial severance.
In the entire Marvel Universe, there might exist beings capable of enduring such a cut through sheer physical supremacy. Mayor was not one of them.
When the air around them began to distort and twist unnaturally, a phantom-like tear spreading across the fabric of space, Mayor did not look surprised. His expression hardened instead. He raised his thick, demonic arms and crossed them before his chest, bracing himself with absolute confidence in his body.
He had considered retreating. The instant the surrounding space warped, he tried to shift position. But an unreasonable and overwhelming gravitational force pinned him in place. It wasn't simple pressure—it felt like the world itself had locked him down.
Since escape was impossible, he would endure.
Mayor did not understand the underlying mechanics of the Dimension Slash. But he had studied the footage. He had watched Richard slice apart Sentinel robots and Benjamin at the Los Angeles branch. He had witnessed the devastating cuts in SHIELD's director's office, captured by drone surveillance.
He knew what was coming.
The moment his arms locked in defensive posture, more than a dozen crescent-shaped spatial blades erupted from every direction.
Sharp arcs tore through the air.
Chi—chi—chi—chi—chi—
The blades passed through Mayor's demonic body as cleanly as a hot knife through frosting. There was no resistance, no impact sound of steel against flesh. Only the faint distortion of space collapsing in their wake.
Then, just as quickly, the shadows faded. The spatial fractures sealed. The warped air returned to stillness.
Mayor remained standing.
For a brief second, hope flickered in the minds of Captain America, Todd, and the others. Had he blocked it? Had that monstrous body actually endured the attack?
The illusion lasted no more than a few seconds.
Mayor had not been sliced into immediate debris like the Sentinel robot earlier. But that was not because he had blocked the attack. It was because his demonic X-gene was desperately attempting to repair catastrophic damage faster than gravity could claim it.
Demonization granted immense regeneration. But the damage inflicted by FS Dimension Slash had exceeded its upper threshold.
Four seconds passed.
Then blood erupted outward in violent sprays from countless invisible seams across his body.
Under the stunned gaze of Captain America and the others, Mayor's massive frame split apart along precise lines. Sections of his body separated cleanly, sliding free before collapsing under gravity's pull. Flesh, bone, and dark blood scattered across the ground in heavy fragments.
He fell in pieces.
While the others were still processing what they had just witnessed, Richard calmly activated Plunder.
[Gain new ability: Demonization!]
[Same-type ability detected. Ability fusion initiated!]
[Demonization strengthened!]
[X-Gene Superpower List Updated!]
[X-Gene Superpowers: 14 Alpha-level, 24 Beta-level, 6 Delta-level]
When Richard noticed that the number of Beta-level abilities had decreased by one, he immediately understood what had merged. Without hesitation, he opened the Beta-level list.
As expected, Demonization had fused with Giant Form—the ability he had never once used in battle.
After closing the interface, he lifted his gaze toward Todd and Lambert.
Both men hovered in the air, staring at the scattered remains below with complicated expressions. They had mentally prepared themselves for casualties today. But they had never imagined that Mayor—the head of headquarters operations—would die this casually.
It wasn't that they couldn't accept his death.
It was how easily it happened.
He was an Alpha-level mutant. A demonic powerhouse. In their estimation, he stood on par with the Hulk. And unlike the Hulk—who at present relied largely on brute force—Mayor possessed tactical training and refined combat experience.
Richard disagreed.
Today's Hulk might not yet embody his comic-book apex, but potential mattered. No one could predict how terrifying Hulk would become in the future.
Richard didn't wait for them to descend.
He activated the Alpha-level gravitational manipulation ability he had just plundered.
Gravity surged.
Raising his right hand, he pressed downward. In that instant, gravity around Todd and Lambert multiplied hundreds of times over.
The air itself seemed to collapse.
Both men were dragged down violently, like birds with shattered wings.
Before Todd could strike the ground, Richard teleported behind him.
Eight flashes.
The authentic blade moved like lightning.
Eight smooth arcs sliced through Todd's body in perfect sequence. The Minister of Mutant Affairs was cut into eight clean sections before he even fully registered the pain. Blood and flesh scattered mid-fall before slamming against the pavement below.
Lambert reacted instantly.
Though rarely involved in frontline arrests, his instincts were sharp. Energy erupted from his body and formed a seamless spherical shield around him. The glowing barrier not only cushioned his descent but countered the amplified gravity, preventing his body from being crushed into pulp.
His reaction speed was impressive.
Unfortunately for him, his opponent was Richard.
As Lambert stabilized within his protective sphere, Richard activated Shadow Fire—the reward from the quest "One-Winged Angel (II)."
The name revealed little.
Unlike abilities such as Thunderbolt or Gale, Shadow Fire was rooted in dark attribute energy—a rarity in this universe. It did not resemble common elemental attacks like flame or frost.
The moment it activated, a white gravity sphere manifested within the locked zone.
Its pull was immediate.
Lambert felt himself dragged toward it despite his shield.
Simultaneously, black flames—condensed from dark attribute energy—formed a spherical cage around him. The red glow of his energy barrier was swallowed in an instant as the black structure sealed shut.
Within the cage, silver-white lightning crackled violently.
The flames burned. The lightning struck. The gravity compressed.
The cage tightened.
When the containment reached critical density, the sphere detonated.
"Goodbye, Deputy Minister Winston Lambert."
Boom.
The explosion wasn't thunderous. It sounded more like a grenade than a bomb. But the power was exponentially greater.
When the black flames and silver lightning dissipated, Lambert was gone.
No body.
No blood.
No debris.
He had vanished completely, as if erased from existence.
Richard immediately used Plunder.
[Gain new abilities: Crush, Flight, Energy Control!]
[Same-type ability detected. Ability fusion initiated!]
[Energy Control strengthened!]
[X-Gene Superpower List Updated!]
[X-Gene Superpowers: 15 Alpha-level, 25 Beta-level, 6 Delta-level]
When Richard saw that Energy Absorption had been enhanced, he realized Lambert's Energy Control was not as formidable as expected. It was more versatile, yes—but limited to common energy types such as heat, electricity, and wind. Energy Absorption could achieve similar output flexibility once enough power was stored.
He shifted his attention to the new Alpha-level ability.
[Crush: Instantly destroy the atomic bonds of any material touched, causing it to disintegrate into dust or vanish entirely.]
Richard's gaze slowly moved toward Captain America Rogers.
More precisely—to the vibranium shield in his hand.
Could vibranium be crushed?
Originally, Richard intended to test how many strikes it would take to carve through the legendary metal. Now he had a better idea.
First, slice the shield apart with spatial cuts. Then test whether Crush could erase the fragments completely.
Captain America and Hawkeye didn't know what he was thinking. But their expressions had grown increasingly grim.
They had known Richard was powerful.
They hadn't expected Todd and the others to fall this quickly.
They had no power to fight back.
That was the most accurate evaluation of what had just happened.
.....
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