CHAPTER 88 – THE MAD EMPEROR
The battlefield shook with every strike. Steel against claw, fire against flame, lightning ripping the skies. The X-Men were gods in motion—but the tide of aliens was endless. For every enemy they cut down, ten more pressed forward, the valley screaming with the clash of war.
Above it all, Emperor D'Ken stood on his throne of fire, eyes burning with madness. He raised one hand, and the shadows thickened. From the black poured a creature that made even Logan's blood run cold.
It had no true shape—just coils of smoke, mouths opening where no mouths should be, teeth gnashing, each bite hungering for more. Its eyes were pits, swallowing light. When it opened its jaws, a wail cut the air like ice water down the spine.
"The SOUL DRINKER," D'Ken hissed, his voice trembling with delight. "A gift for my dear sister. Her body may resist me, but her SOUL will not."
Lilandra struggled in Erik's crimson bonds, eyes wide. "No! You cannot—"
Scarlet light gagged her. Erik smiled beneath his helmet, voice cold. "You are already lost, princess."
The Soul Drinker slid toward her, hunger dripping from every tooth.
On the battlefield, Cyclops saw it, felt the panic rise. He fired into the swarm, clearing a path, his voice booming over the chaos. "X-MEN! WE'RE AT A DISADVANTAGE! WE CAN'T REACH HER IN TIME!"
Storm soared above the melee, lightning exploding from her hands. "SCOTT—WE WILL FAIL!"
Logan tore another alien apart, snarling. 'Too damn far… can't cut my way through in time…' His eyes burned as he saw the shadow closing on her.
And then—
BAMF!
Nightcrawler appeared on the throne's steps, smoke curling around him. His golden eyes locked on Lilandra.
"Not… while I breathe."
The Soul Drinker turned, its mouths opening, wailing in hunger. Kurt's hand trembled as he reached for her. He had never done this before. Never dared.
He gritted his teeth. "'Gott hilf mir…'"
He grabbed Lilandra by the arm.
BAMF!
The explosion of brimstone nearly tore him apart. His body screamed, every cell splitting, burning. Teleporting himself was agony enough. But carrying another? His vision blurred, his veins felt like fire, his heart staggered in his chest.
They reappeared on the battlefield, both tumbling into the dust. Kurt collapsed to one knee, chest heaving, sweat pouring down his face.
Jean was there in an instant, Phoenix fire wrapping them both, holding the swarm back. "Kurt! What have you—"
He coughed, forcing words out through the pain. "She… she is safe."
Lilandra clutched her chest, staring at him with wild eyes. "You… you risked your life—"
Nightcrawler smiled faintly, his skin pale, his tail twitching weakly. "That is what X-Men do."
Cyclops barked for cover fire. "KEEP THEM OFF HIM!" The team tightened, forming a ring of fire and steel around Kurt and Lilandra.
And through the chaos, Lilandra spoke, her voice carrying above the roar of battle.
"I must tell you… what you face." Her voice cracked, but she forced it on, her eyes locked on the Emperor high above. "I was ADMIRAL of the Imperial Guard. I led armies across stars. But I learned my brother's secret. The M'KRAAN CRYSTAL—he means to unlock it. He seeks not just power, but the END OF ALL THAT IS."
She trembled, gripping Jean's arm. "I opposed him. For that, he branded me a TRAITOR. The Guard split in half—brother against brother, sister against sister. I was taken for execution… but I escaped, fled across the stars. And in my flight, I FELT HIM. A mind like my own. A soul that answered mine." Her eyes burned with desperate hope. "CHARLES."
"The dreams… the visions… it was me."
"Yes!" Lilandra cried. "I reached for his mind across the void. I saw his world through his eyes. And I begged for hope."
The battlefield shook again as D'Ken's laughter rolled across the valley.
"HOPE IS A LIE!" the Emperor roared. "THE NINE STARS ALIGN. THE CRYSTAL AWAKES. AND ALL CREATION WILL BLEED!"
The heavens trembled.
And on the horizon, nine suns flared, their light burning as one.