White Queen Emma took a moment to reflect. She had no real interest in joining Apocalypse. The main issue was that Apocalypse viewed himself as a god, treated ordinary mutants as mere servants, and saw humans as little more than slaves. That kind of ideology was simply too unpopular.
Even the so-called Four Horsemen of Apocalypse were nothing more than glorified minions. And who was Emma? She was the White Queen of the Hellfire Club.
The Hellfire Club was a sanctuary for the elite among mutants. Their ideology was far more pragmatic: pursue personal benefit. Whether mutants or ordinary humans prospered made little difference to them—they were a thoroughly self-serving group.
The stronger and more refined the mutant, the more likely they were to be drawn to the Hellfire Club's philosophy. These individuals, untouched by discrimination, enjoyed the advantages of their powers and naturally held little animosity toward humankind.
Emma, the White Queen, was a top figure in the Hellfire Club. She lived extravagantly and was constantly surrounded by admirers. Even when Magneto made his bold moves, the Hellfire Club barely felt the impact.
But Apocalypse was a different story. When he teleported directly in front of you, the choice became simple: obey or die.
In the Hellfire Club, flexibility was the norm. With no guiding belief or loyalty, surrender wasn't shameful, it was strategic. Emma was certainly not the type to die for pride.
That said, to claim that she was loyal to Apocalypse would be laughable.
Although Apocalypse hadn't yet lost, Emma had already begun contemplating a change of allegiance the moment the situation became deadlocked.
Not to mention the massive lightning sphere suspended in the sky, summoned by Shin. Without it, would the Four Horsemen be acting so obediently?
"See that guy in the wheelchair next to Professor X?" Emma pointed down calmly. "He's the real key, he's called the Great Illusionist."
Surprisingly, even Mister Sinister, who had first boasted that Apocalypse had a trump card, made no move to silence her. The remaining Horsemen, Arclight and Psylocke, exchanged glances and then passively stepped aside, allowing Emma to expose Apocalypse's secrets.
Clearly, while Apocalypse was powerful, he wasn't particularly beloved.
Initially, because of the government's urgent measures against mutants, many had flocked to Apocalypse's side. But now that mutant policies were loosening, his support base was becoming increasingly hollow.
"I don't know how Apocalypse got the information," Emma continued.
"They say a mutant with prophetic powers tipped him off early on, allowing him to track down numerous powerful mutants with uncanny precision."
"The Great Illusionist was extracted from a military base. While his mind is almost non-functional, his ability is terrifying."
[T/N: The Great Illusionist aka Jason Stryker was a mutant with the ability to create mental illusions within anyone he makes eye contact with, as well as persuade them to speak or perform actions without inhibitions.]
"His power leans more toward illusion than direct psychic assault. Combined with fluid extracted from his brain, even a psychic as strong as Charles can be subdued."
"Right now, Charles and the woman in red that Apocalypse somehow found are both under the influence of his illusions!"
Magneto still seemed puzzled, but Shin had already grasped the situation clearly.
The Great Illusionist is an impressive figure in the comics, in here he is reduced to a semi-vegetative state.
Still, his ability was no joke. Unlike straightforward psychic powers, his was more akin to sensory manipulation, similar to the hormone control of the Purple Man or a direct hijacking of the five senses.
By bypassing traditional psychic channels and acting more on the physical brain and body, he could even influence someone as powerful as Professor X though only under very specific conditions.
Of course, this method of manipulation was far less convenient than direct telepathy. Fortunately for them, neither Professor X nor Scarlet Witch relied on martial combat. If the target had been Wolverine, he would've been downed long ago with such delayed reactions.
As for Quicksilver, he likely wasn't manipulated at all. He was probably just brainwashed, without the need for psychic intrusion, which explained why he was still able to escape with his sister.
"So, our top priority is eliminating the Great Illusionist?" Magneto asked. With that, a wave of metal surged downward.
Apocalypse raised his head, extended a hand to block the attack, and casually crushed the metal into ash.
"My horsemen, what are you doing?" Apocalypse barked, fury distorting his features. This wasn't just passive resistance anymore it was an open betrayal.
"Sorry, I'm not interested in your so-called kingdom of gods," Emma retorted bluntly. "Ancient relics like you belong in the dirt."
"And the rest of you?" Apocalypse turned to the other three Horsemen, his gaze frigid.
He remained formidable enough to strike fear into them. Arclight and Psylocke immediately aligned themselves beside Apocalypse, floating up to join him in the air.
Mister Sinister merely chuckled and glanced toward Phoenix and Scarlet Witch. "Your Majesty, may I conduct some research on these mutants?"
Apocalypse looked at him with open disgust, knowing full well that Sinister was just trying to exploit the chaos. But Sinister remained unfazed, he had full confidence in his worth.
Apocalypse, despite his own research proclivities, had always been wary of Mister Sinister. While he'd studied the Chaos Force of Scarlet Witch himself, he feared that Sinister might uncover something significant and thus become uncontrollable. That was why he had never granted Sinister full access.
"Nathaniel... win this battle, and you may use the captives as you please for experimentation!"
Finally, Apocalypse gritted his teeth and gave in.
Watching all of this unfold, Shin grew increasingly impatient. With a cold sneer, he said, "A bunch of clowns. Do you think banding together will save you? Try handling this first."
As soon as he finished speaking, the thunder sphere behind him erupted, releasing countless lightning bolts. The sky lit up like rainfall as the bolts swept down, engulfing the remaining three Horsemen and Apocalypse himself.
Apocalypse responded by erecting a transparent energy shield. The lightning smashed into it, radiating outward in brilliant arcs, but ultimately failed to breach it.
Shin frowned slightly. More and more, he was beginning to feel that the benefits of Devil Fruits, whether Zoan or Logia, were diminishing.
His current fused Eight-headed Dragon Fruit offered little enhancement. Aside from the eight lives granted by the Yamata no Orochi aspect, most other abilities had become nearly negligible.
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