With the fierce battle raging across the sky, the temperature over New York City abruptly rose by more than ten degrees. Each blast of cosmic fire unleashed by Firelord was no less than a miniature sun, radiating immense heat and destructive energy.
Although the heroes clashing midair tried their best to avoid these blazing attacks, even the smallest spark that landed within the city could instantly ignite a towering inferno, devouring entire streets and engulfing towering skyscrapers in moments.
The destructive fallout caused by these cosmic-level beings, especially those who wielded control over elemental forces like fire, was beyond what conventional emergency responses could handle. Accidental damage, no matter how unintended, comes at an enormous cost to life and infrastructure.
The skies burned, and the city below descended into chaos. Sirens wailed throughout the five boroughs, as emergency systems activated en masse. A cacophony of evacuation alerts filled the air. Civilians poured out of buildings, fleeing in panic, while smoke and fire spread like a blanket of doom.
Amid the chaos, a new group emerged, masked individuals in strange, vibrant costumes leaping into action. They were unaffiliated vigilantes, street-level heroes, and resistance fighters, aiding in the evacuation, shielding citizens from debris, and directing crowds to safety.
None of them even considered joining the aerial combat. It was clear that the battle above was in a completely different league. Most of these grounded heroes lacked the ability to fly, let alone survive even a stray energy blast from the combatants above.
From below, New York City resembled a hellish inferno. The streets were scorched, buildings cracked and shattered, while the orange glow of flame lit the night like an artificial sun. Amid it all, Storm hovered midair, gritting her teeth in frustration. Her lightning and wind attacks had failed to even singe Firelord. She took a deep breath, redirecting her efforts.
Storm's hands raised as she whispered to the skies. Clouds began to swirl ominously.
Next to her, Shin stood silently. Without hesitation, he activated his Devil Fruit powers. The sky darkened in an instant. Then, with a resounding crack of thunder, torrential rain began to fall across the city.
The downpour didn't weaken Firelord himself his power was too immense to be suppressed by mere weather. Even if submerged in the ocean, his energy would remain largely intact. But the flames he left behind were vulnerable. Within minutes, the storm had doused fires throughout the city, preventing further destruction.
Still, the aerial battle was a cataclysm. Buildings continued to collapse from shockwaves. Cars were flung through the air. Glass shattered in waves across neighborhoods. The damage, while reduced, was far from eliminated.
Worse still, Firelord was beginning to gain the upper hand.
The problem was simple: most of the heroes in the sky couldn't take hits. Phoenix and Scarlet Witch, despite their power, were ultimately mutants, humans who relied heavily on magic barriers for protection. Their physical bodies weren't built to endure direct cosmic assaults.
In terms of strength, speed, and aerial agility, they were simply outmatched. Firelord moved with precision and fury, fire spiraling in his wake.
Tony Stark had already gone through three iterations of his Iron Man suit. None of them could withstand the sheer heat emanating from Firelord. Fortunately, this was Stark's home ground. His suits were stored all across the city. Without that, he wouldn't have lasted this long.
Jessica Jones had durability, but it wasn't enough. Her strength was significant among street-level heroes, but in this kind of battle, she was barely a shield and not a very effective one. If she took even one direct hit from Firelord, she would be vaporized.
Invisible Woman and Storm continued to play support roles, mitigating damage from stray blasts, shielding the civilians below, and disrupting the aftermath of attacks. But when it came to direct confrontation, they had little to offer.
Among them, only Shin was capable of taking on Firelord head-to-head. But he hadn't made his move yet. He was waiting, watching, looking for the perfect opportunity to strike with lethal precision. Very few knew the extent of his true abilities.
If not for the interventions of the Red Hulk, the other giant, and the original Hulk, who leaped into the sky with raw power and the long-range assaults of Cyclops and Iceman, Firelord would've crushed the resistance already. Their efforts disrupted his rhythm just enough to prevent total collapse.
As a Herald of Galactus, Firelord held some caution toward both the Phoenix Force and Chaos Magic. Against those, he was wary. But the rest? Their attacks felt like bug bites. Even the Hulk could only take a few punches before retreating.
Unfortunately, few of the combatants possessed a body like Firelord's. Their damage tolerance was incredibly low. Every strike that connected risked fatal injury, keeping the entire battle teetering on the edge of disaster.
Thankfully, most cosmic entities in the Marvel universe, while capable of moving at incredible speeds, didn't always possess correspondingly fast reflexes. Their combat speeds were often limited to roughly a hundred times the speed of sound. They relied on energy attacks and power rather than close-quarters precision. That fact allowed the Earth heroes to survive longer than expected.
Even so, the situation grew grimmer by the second. As the Earth heroes' stamina drained, the battle's balance began tilting heavily in Firelord's favor.
The first major collapse came from the Scarlet Witch.
Alongside Phoenix, she had been a major force holding the enemy at bay. But Chaos Magic was insatiable in its consumption of stamina. Though her spells still flowed, Wanda's body had reached its threshold.
Shin had deliberately refrained from using the Twin Drowning Fountain on Wanda. Chaos Magic was far less stable than the Phoenix Force. If Wanda were split into two, Chthon might sense the opportunity and pour even more corrupted magic into her. No one could predict the outcome.
Thus, Wanda bore the full burden alone. Jean Grey, blessed by the Phoenix Force, suffered far less strain. The Phoenix Force, an embodiment of life, could sustain its host and even regenerate spiritual and physical energy. Chaos Magic, by contrast, tore at the body, burning from within.
"Ahh...!" Wanda gasped, writhing in pain. Blood burst from her mouth and nose. Her body trembled violently as the corruption reached its peak.
That instant of agony broke her concentration, just briefly. But it was enough.
Firelord saw his chance.
He dodged Jean's interception, smashed through Iron Man and Jessica Jones with a fiery surge, and closed in on Wanda like a meteor. His scepter blazed as it struck her hastily raised magic barrier, piercing it with ease.
Wanda's breath caught. The overwhelming heat smothered her. Chaos Magic surged again, but her eyes widened not with resolve, but with fear.
She could sense it. Her spell would not finish in time. Firelord's scepter was already upon her. Even proximity could turn her into charcoal. Her skin blistered in an instant. The world slowed.
'Is this it...?' she thought, her eyelids fluttering shut.
Just then, a flash of light blinked into existence beside her.
Shin appeared.
On one hand, he caught Firelord's scepter. Silver light crackled in his grip.
In his other hand, a jagged black spatial rift tore reality open and he brought it down on Firelord's head.
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