Chapter 48: I Began to Perform

With the roar of Apocalypse, a terrifying sandstorm reminiscent of the end of the world engulfed the entire small city. Although the battle had already devastated several surrounding blocks, the destruction until now had been limited to the immediate area. But at this moment, Apocalypse seemed like an indomitable fighter, growing ever stronger amidst adversity. With a mere wave of his hand, he unleashed a cataclysmic sand burial upon his enemies.

The sand became blades in his grasp. Laura’s body was instantly slashed with countless wounds deep enough to reveal bone, while the sand striking her adamantium skeleton sparked dazzlingly. This time, however, Apocalypse had grown cunning. As Laura struggled to fend off the sandstorm, he clenched his fingers and unleashed the Sand Coffin, encasing her tightly in sand and sinking her directly into the earth, leaving only her head exposed.

Sensing danger, Jos had already merged with Little Black, and with the symbiote’s unique physiology, barely managed to evade the worst of the storm. Yet the sands stretched on and on, blocking out the sky as though endless; even with Little Black’s protection, Jos knew he could not hold out forever.

“Kneel! Submit to me!” As Jos fought desperately against the storm, Apocalypse’s furious shout exploded in his ears, now laced with his most potent psychic control. For a moment, Jos’s gaze turned unfocused under the onslaught. Realizing something was wrong, Jos shook his head violently, forcing himself awake. “Impossible… Is his power really this overwhelming? Was he just sluggish at the start because he wasn’t fully awake?”

The power Apocalypse revealed now was more terrifying than his final form in the movies. Had he begun the battle at this level, Jos and the others would have been annihilated in a single round.

“Give up! You are weak—become my knights, and I will spare your lives!” Again, Apocalypse’s psychic roar battered Jos’s ears. An ordinary person would have bent the knee at just the sound of that voice. Jos, however, possessed far greater willpower and mental fortitude than any normal man, and would not so easily succumb. Yet, faced with the boundless sandstorm, even Jos did not know how much longer he could endure.

“Damn… what options are left? Should I stall with Diamond Stardust Fist and try to contact Captain America for help?” The thought flashed through his mind, but Jos immediately dismissed it. Not only was he nearly exhausted and unsure how many more times he could use Diamond Stardust Fist, but even if Captain America sent reinforcements from America, there was no telling how long it would take them to arrive.

Besides, if he contacted the Avengers, his mission at the base would be utterly ruined—once he made contact, returning to explore the base’s secrets would be nearly impossible.

“Damn it… how is he so strong… Wait?!”

Suddenly, Jos realized he had grasped something crucial.

A classic, three-stage Iori Yagami laugh burst from Jos’s lips. Struggling against the battering sandstorm, he abruptly covered his eyes and laughed wildly. “Apocalypse, you’re impressive.”

His abrupt words drew the eyes of all present, even the raging sandstorm pausing for an instant. Ignoring Apocalypse, Jos continued, “Originally, I only wanted to test the mettle of the world’s first mutant, but you’ve turned out to be far more interesting than I imagined.”

“But your repeated demands for my submission are unforgivable!” Jos’s tone shifted suddenly, becoming cold as death. In the distance, Apocalypse frowned and raised his hand, intending to command the sands—only to see Jos’s hair stand on end, pure energy exploding around him and transforming his hair into a golden, lotus-like crown.

“Let me show you my true power,” Jos’s icy voice echoed all around.

“Eight Gates Released—Death Gate Open!”

With a thunderous cry, blood-red mist erupted from Jos, dyeing his golden hair a shade of dark gold.

“Second Stage Release: Black Winged Demon!”

Two wings of pure darkness unfurled behind him, emanating an aura that threatened to destroy all in its path.

“Enuma Elish: The Separation of Heaven and Earth—Ea!”

With another furious shout, Jos ripped from the void a sword in three rotating segments, a weapon that defied all conventional definitions of a blade. Even from afar, Apocalypse could sense that the space around the sword was being torn asunder; a single swing would be enough to shatter the world itself.

But this was not the end. Susanoo, Ainz Ooal Gown, the Sacred Sword of Physics—one after another, countless abilities and artifacts, unfamiliar yet unimaginably powerful, manifested around Jos.

Though it sounds lengthy in the telling, only a few seconds had passed. The boy who had seemed a flickering candle moments ago now radiated a terrifying aura. Apocalypse’s fingers froze midair, unable to move even a fraction further.

That dreadful power surpassed mutants, surpassed this world—it was more fearsome than any relic of the gods Apocalypse had ever sought.

“Congratulations. Your power has earned my recognition, so I will see you off with my strongest blow.”

Jos’s eyes blazed with flames of different hues—one a Rinnegan, the other a Mystic Eyes of Death Perception—regarding Apocalypse without the slightest hint of emotion.

“Be proud. I will erase Egypt and you from the map together. For a former king, to depart with his homeland must be a fitting end.”

Jos raised his staff and sword high, crossing them to the heavens, chanting an incantation in a language harsh and cryptic.

“Let all return to nothing…”

A pure light, as if from the dawn of creation, spread from the sky, transforming everything it touched into pure radiance. Sky, earth, sandstorm—Apocalypse saw all within his sight dissolve into nothingness, and the light continued inexorably toward him.

In that instant, Apocalypse felt as if he were witnessing the descent of a true god or demon. Such power was utterly beyond even the most ancient mutant; it was a glimpse of the force that could destroy worlds.

So, for the first time, Apocalypse felt fear. The once-invincible being turned and fled, but how could any mortal hope to outrun the light? In the brief moment it took to turn, the boundless radiance had already engulfed him completely.

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PS: Some details may have been unclear before, so here’s a brief clarification; from now on, I’ll try to explain such things directly in the main text.

The system’s rarity levels are N, and so on. While rarity can somewhat indicate the power of an ability or item, it primarily denotes how “rare” it is. For example, a butcher’s knife would only be classified as N-rank, while Sharingan contacts would be SR, even though the latter might not add as much to combat effectiveness as the former.