Though Dark Phoenix had just suffered a devastating injury from Heartless Angel's "law of cause and effect" effect, Richard chose not to finish her off. Instead, he employed the Yamato's Separation ability to extract the Dark Phoenix from Jean Grey's body.
This strategic decision wasn't motivated by mercy toward Jean, but by pragmatic intuition. Richard sensed that the Phoenix Force wouldn't permit its host to be so easily eliminated.
Even in its incomplete state, it remained the cosmic Phoenix Force. Moreover, when the system updated the "Devil's Son (IV)" mission, the objective specified defeating Dark Phoenix rather than killing Jean Grey.
If the system's requirement was merely to defeat rather than kill, this suggested one of two possibilities: either Richard couldn't kill Jean, or attempting to do so would invite catastrophic consequences—such as provoking the Phoenix Force's full retribution.
Though his system lacked the user-friendly consideration found in other transmigrators' interfaces, Richard still trusted its assessment. If killing Jean might trigger a comprehensive counterattack from the Phoenix Force, eliminating the separated Dark Phoenix likely wouldn't. After all, the cosmic entity resided within Jean's physical form, not within her fractured personality.
Dark Phoenix, now extracted and given independent form through the Yamato's power, regarded Richard with undisguised shock. She had never imagined manifesting in the physical world through such means.
This unexpected development stunned not only Dark Phoenix but Jean Grey herself. Nearby, Wolverine, Cyclops, and the other X-Men displayed equally astonished expressions at the sight of two identical Jean Greys hovering in the sky.
What did he just do?
When Jean had first fallen under Dark Phoenix's control, Professor X had briefly explained the nature of this dark personality to his students. He had also assured them Richard would intervene to stop the crisis, encouraging them to persevere until help arrived.
Even so, none of them could have anticipated that Richard's blade would somehow manifest Dark Phoenix—previously just an alternate personality—as a physical entity in the real world.
Ignoring their collective astonishment, Richard quickly swung the Masamune in his left hand.
Octoslash!
Though confused by what had happened to her, Dark Phoenix didn't passively await her fate. She immediately marshaled her telekinetic abilities.
Telekinetic Barrier!
For ordinary opponents, the barrier would have presented an impenetrable defense. For Richard, however, breaching it posed minimal challenge.
BANG!
The telekinetic shield managed to block only the first three of Richard's eight slashes before shattering with an explosive report.
As her barrier collapsed, unprecedented panic flashed across Dark Phoenix's features.
Matter Manipulation!
Faced with imminent destruction, she desperately attempted to molecularly deconstruct both Richard and the approaching blade.
But she had underestimated both weapon and wielder. As Dark Phoenix activated her matter manipulation, Richard channeled his formidable mana, enveloping himself and the Masamune in protective energy.
Though uncertain whether his magical shield could permanently resist Dark Phoenix's decomposition power, Richard felt confident it would hold for the crucial second or two he required.
Slash-slash-slash-slash-slash!
Under Dark Phoenix's horrified gaze, the remaining five slashes of Octoslash carved through her form.
"Goodbye, Ms. Dark Phoenix!"
Unlike a flesh-and-blood body, Dark Phoenix didn't collapse into gore and viscera when bisected by the eight strikes. Instead, her form dissipated into smoke-like black energy.
Though the Yamato had separated her from Jean Grey's body, it lacked the capacity to spontaneously generate an organic physical form. When Vergil employed the Yamato's separation on himself, he could divide into the human V and the demon Urizen because he was inherently a human-demon hybrid.
Dark Phoenix's separation had merely extracted her personality and a portion of her power, fundamentally different from Vergil's complete bifurcation into human and demonic aspects.
After shredding Dark Phoenix into fragments, Richard immediately activated his power.
Had Dark Phoenix remained fused with Jean Grey's body, Richard doubted he could have successfully plundered her abilities even after defeating her. His current Plunder remained at Alpha level, insufficient to appropriate Omega-tier powers.
Dark Phoenix in control of Phoenix Girl's body indisputably qualified as an Omega-level mutant. But now, extracted and vulnerable, her powers lay within his grasp.
Despite his tactical advantage, Richard remained uncertain whether he could successfully appropriate Dark Phoenix's abilities. All he knew with certainty was that her separation had severed her connection to the Phoenix Force, dramatically reducing her power compared to when she had controlled Jean Grey's body.
[Gain new abilities: Matter manipulation, telepathy!]
[Get the same type of abilities, ability fusion!]
[Matter manipulation and telepathy are enhanced!]
[Matter manipulation level has been upgraded, current level: Omega level!]
[Plunder level has been upgraded, current level: Omega level!]
[X gene mutant power list updated!]
[X-Gene Mutant powers: 2 Omega-level, 13 Alpha-level, 24 Beta-level, 6 Delta-level]
Seeing the system's notification, unrestrained satisfaction spread across Richard's face. Though he had anticipated Dark Phoenix's weakened state, he hadn't been certain her matter manipulation had diminished sufficiently to be captured by his plundering ability. More surprisingly, after absorbing her abilities, his own Plunder power had ascended to Omega level.
Without hesitation, he examined his updated power registry:
[Omega level: Plunder, Matter Manipulation]
[Alpha level: Super Strength, Enhanced Durability, Accelerated Healing, Teleportation, Immortality, Magnetic Field Manipulation, Energy Absorption, Super Senses, Gravity Manipulation, Telepathy, Invisibility, Heat Vision, Demonization]
As he admired his expanded capabilities, a mission completion notice appeared:
[Mission "Devil's Son (IV)" has been completed!]
[Mission reward True Demon Form (Vergil) has been sent!]
Finally!
Richard's already elevated mood soared further. Tonight's confrontation had not only granted him two Omega-level abilities, officially establishing him as an undisputed Omega-level mutant, but had also delivered the True Demon Form he had anticipated for months.
Judgement Cut End, Phantom Sword, Yamato, True Demon Form!
Though he hadn't technically obtained Vergil's complete template, he now possessed virtually all of Vergil's capabilities at a considerable fusion level. He could execute everything in Vergil's arsenal except for specific weapons like the Force Edge and Beowulf.
Dismissing the information panel, Richard turned his attention to Jean Grey, who had recovered from her near-fatal injury. Though Jean lacked conventional healing or Accelerated Healing powers, the Phoenix Force within her surpassed any such abilities. Barring specific plot-driven vulnerabilities like those in the films, the Phoenix Force essentially granted her functional immortality.
Physically, Jean appeared completely restored. Psychologically, however, she was devastated. Though Dark Phoenix—not Jean herself—had killed Professor X and harmed the others, Jean couldn't separate herself from these actions. From her perspective, she had committed these atrocities with her own hands.
Observing the Phoenix Girl suspended in mid-air, enveloped in cosmic energy and wearing an expression of profound anguish, Richard made no attempt at consolation. The aftermath held no interest for him.
With a thought, he teleported from Xavier's School directly back to Silver Manor's training ground.
Upon arrival, he first returned the Masamune to his system space. Then he reverted his clothing transformation, shifting from Sephiroth's iconic attire back to his normal appearance.
In the original game, activating True Demon Form required filling a specialized gauge. In this reality, however, the transformation merely demanded mana.
As Richard channeled his power, blue-white mana swirled around him like a tsunami.
True Demon Form!
In an instant, his silver-haired human appearance metamorphosed into a demonic entity. Scaled armor encased his body, with a V-shaped blue-white energy signature illuminating his chest. Twin pairs of demon wings folded behind him like a coat's hem, while a demon tail over two meters long extended from his back.
The Yamato, previously held in his hands, dissolved and reconstituted as energy arm blades attached to his forearms.
Though unable to view his complete transformation, the arm blades and glowing "V" chest emblem confirmed that his True Demon Form perfectly matched Vergil's demonic manifestation.
The transformation intensified his already formidable physical capabilities. More notably, Richard experienced heightened aggressive impulses—a powerful urge toward destruction and bloodshed.
If you have a hammer in your hand, everything starts to look like a nail!
As he contemplated seeking out criminals to vent these violent compulsions, a circular portal rimmed with golden sparks materialized five or six meters before him.
One name immediately entered Richard's thoughts:
The Ancient One, the Sorcerer Supreme!
Though they had never met, Richard knew with certainty that the Ancient One still retained the Sorcerer Supreme title. The logic was simple—"Doctor Strange" Stephen Strange hadn't yet experienced his fateful car accident and remained a celebrated neurosurgeon in New York. Richard had encountered him several times at high-society gatherings.
As the portal stabilized, the Ancient One emerged—clad in vibrant yellow robes, with a head as smoothly shaven as Professor Xavier's, holding an ornate folding fan. The Sorcerer Supreme scanned the training ground before focusing on Richard's demonic form with a puzzled frown.
"Are you Richard Wesley, the candidate Charles recommended?" the Ancient One inquired dubiously.
Richard's True Demon Form had so completely altered both his appearance and his metaphysical signature that even the Sorcerer Supreme struggled to identify him with certainty.
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New fanfic :
Marvel : The God Of Punishment System
I Am Raditz
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