"Bullying? Isn't that a bit of an exaggeration?"
Seeing Alex's calm, confident, almost casual demeanor, Danvers couldn't help feeling a little unconvinced.
She admitted that she did have a vague sense that she wasn't Alex's match anymore.
In fact, the gap between them seemed to be growing larger and larger.
But could it really be that exaggerated?
After all, over all these years, she hadn't been standing still either.
"If it's exaggerated or not, why don't the two of you just spar and find out?"
Wolverine, who was lazily smoking a cigar off to the side, suddenly grew interested and chimed in.
He even fanned the flames a bit.
"That's right, hurry up and fight! I bet it'll be a great show!"
Even Erik's face showed clear anticipation.
The other mutant core members also perked up, joining in with eager encouragement.
"Alex, everyone can't wait anymore. What are you waiting for?"
Danvers formally issued her challenge to Alex.
"You guys really love watching chaos unfold."
Alex laughed as he scolded the mutant leaders lightly, but he didn't spoil the mood.
"Danvers—alright then. Let's head to the training ground and play around a bit."
"I've been itching for this too!"
Danvers looked eager and excited.
This was a rare spectacle. One by one, the mutant leaders put down their work and followed Alex and Danvers to the outdoor training field.
Even Charles and Erik, usually calm and restrained, couldn't resist coming along.
Under everyone's watchful gaze, Alex and Danvers stepped onto the training ground, facing each other from a distance.
"Ready, Alex?"
Danvers cracked her knuckles, eyes blazing as she stared at him.
"Go ahead."
Alex stood there casually, completely at ease.
Whoosh!
With a thought, Danvers' entire body lit up with a brilliant golden glow.
It was dazzling.
Flashy, powerful, and undeniably impressive.
"I'm coming!"
After calling out that warning, Danvers instantly turned into a streak of golden light.
She shot toward Alex at breathtaking speed.
So fast—
That the mutant leaders watching from the sidelines couldn't even keep up.
All they saw was a blur, a flash of gold streaking past their vision.
By the time they reacted, Danvers was already right in front of Alex.
More than that—
The moment Danvers charged forward, everyone present felt an overwhelming pressure descend on them.
That's right.
Just the residual aura spilling off Danvers was enough to make Krakoa's top-tier powerhouses feel stifled.
Whoosh!
But in the very next instant—
Danvers froze right in front of Alex.
Because Alex had casually raised his right hand.
A vast and terrifying telekinetic force burst forth, instantly forming an indestructible wall in front of him.
It blocked Danvers completely.
The clash froze in place.
Golden light erupted wildly from Danvers' body, like a volcano spewing scorching energy without pause.
She hovered horizontally in midair, pouring every ounce of her strength into trying to break through Alex's one-handed defense.
However—
It was all in vain.
No matter how explosively she unleashed her power, no matter how fiercely she charged—
She couldn't advance even a single inch.
"Danvers, I'm counterattacking now."
After giving her a brief warning, Alex swung his hand forward.
The crushing force surged outward instantly.
A terrifying wave of energy exploded forth.
In that moment—
Danvers' body shuddered violently, and she was blasted backward like a cannonball.
Her retreating speed was no slower than her initial charge.
If allowed to continue flying like that, before she could dissipate the force, she would've flown at least five kilometers.
Krakoa would've been devastated.
Naturally, Alex wasn't about to let Krakoa suffer that kind of damage.
The instant he sent Danvers flying, he willed it—
Another telekinetic wall condensed behind her.
Catching her mid-flight.
Preventing catastrophic destruction.
"So this is your current level, Alex? You really are far stronger than before."
Danvers steadied herself, surprise written clearly on her face—along with even greater fighting spirit.
"Let's go to space."
There was simply no room to go all out in Krakoa.
If they truly fought without restraint, the entire place would be destroyed.
Whoosh!
After leaving those words behind, Danvers bathed in golden light and shot straight into outer space, vanishing from sight.
"Hey, Danvers!"
Raven craned her neck and shouted.
Everyone had come all this way, and she was just leaving after one exchange?
That was disappointing!
"Sorry, everyone—I can't help you there."
Alex gave the mutant leaders a playful grin.
Standing atop his surfboard, he too vanished in a flash.
"So boring."
"I thought we'd really get to see something amazing."
Havok Alex and Cyclops Scott couldn't help but complain.
"Tell me about it."
"I've never even seen His Majesty's true strength."
Miss America also looked regretful.
Charles merely smiled faintly, said nothing, and quietly turned to leave.
Since Alex and Danvers had taken the fight to space, it no longer had anything to do with them.
Though it felt unsatisfying, everyone could only head back—each returning to their own business.
However, the battle between Alex and Danvers didn't last very long.
About twenty minutes later, the two of them flew back into the royal hall together.
Danvers looked outwardly calm, but anyone could see the faint trace of disappointment between her brows.
It was obvious—
Alex had dealt her a serious blow.
Naturally, no one had the tactless urge to ask what exactly had happened.
"Alex, I know you didn't go all out."
"But can you honestly tell me—how much of your strength did you use?"
Only Danvers pressed the issue, clearly unwilling to let it go.
Despite her usual easygoing nature and lack of competitiveness—
Being utterly manhandled like that still left a knot in her heart.
"You spend all day fighting across the universe—haven't you had enough?"
Alex just laughed.
"You finally come back for once. Isn't it better to relax a bit?"
"How about telling me about your experiences over the years instead?"
There was no way he was going to tell her—
That he hadn't even used half his strength.
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