All the warships fired at the same time. It was not just a unilateral decision. Both countries, who had been at each other's throats until today, had become unusually united against the mutants that had just saved them.
The irony was palpable.
One by one, the dark muzzles of warship cannons bloomed with flame and smoke. Missiles streaked through the sky like sharp arrows.
...
"Bad news, everyone. The distant warships are firing at us!"
The Professor's voice echoed in everyone's mind. Of course, this did not include Shaw.
Shaw was currently facing four people. Angel and Darwin finally exhausted Riptide a few minutes ago: Riptide's body was burned almost beyond recognition by Angel's acid spit. He had no choice but to surrender.
Thus, Angel joined the party in ganging the final Boss. She was relatively safe up high in the sky, though.
Shaw wasn't feeling well. He could feel that the energy contained in his body was reaching its limit.
But he had no choice. His current predicament was akin to a math problem that Li Yue had seen with a reservoir that had a water pipe filling it and a faucet draining it.
As long as the pipe flows faster than the faucet, the reservoir would slowly be filled until it was full. And Shaw had started from a half-full position.
...
Li Yue was currently acting like a jungler, jumping in and out of battle to support the ADC and mages—Magneto, Alex, Banshee, and Angel. They were all desperate for their lives.
Shaw's body should be close to the absolute limit of energy that he could withstand. The Professor's plan almost worked, but the humans attacked before it could be completed.
"Li Yue, take the others away. I will deal with these missiles," Erik said to Li Yue.
Li Yue had just taken Erik to evade Shaw's attack. Everything in a hundred-meter radius around them was ruined.
"Can you do it yourself?" Li Yue asked doubtfully.
"Don't worry; I can still hold on for a while." Erik had already given up on attacking. He controlled the metal wreckage to create a thick shield in front of him.
Li Yue had no choice but to do what Erik said. He disappeared and teleported everyone else as fast as he could, several hundred meters away.
"Everyone" didn't actually mean that many people. Other than the four people that were engaged in combat, the Professor was the only one that was relatively close.
Mystique and the others who couldn't join the battle had already retreated to watch from a safe distance. Li Yue only had to send Alex, Banshee, and the Professor away. He ignored Angel, who was flying in the sky; she could fly anyway.
...
Shaw secretly sighed in relief when the Professor's team stopped attacking him.
He focused all his attacks on the remaining Magneto.
"Erik, I'm genuinely sorry about your mother. But I did that for you. Without me, you would not be who you are today; you should really thank me."
Magneto resisted Shaw's attack while controlling the missiles with some difficulty. He did not reply to Shaw.
"Erik, I am back. The others have been sent to a safe place. What should we do next?" Li Yue suddenly appeared beside Erik, reporting the situation.
"I never wanted to hurt you, Erik. Every decision I made was in order to make you stronger. We are the future of mankind, and this world will eventually belong to us," Shaw said loudly while continuing his assault.
Shaw's tone was sincere: he truly believed in what he said. Everything he did was for the future of the mutants.
I understand. Everything you did made me stronger. You were the one that created me, but you killed my mother!"
"Li Yue now is the time. Let's go!"
Li Yue immediately grabbed Erik and disappeared after Erik shouted.
Erik had pointed all the missiles at Shaw. They all began roaring toward Shaw after Erik released them from his control.
Boom!!!
A series of explosions deafened everyone. Blinding flames and thick smoke soared from the beach.
...
If Shaw was in good condition, such a violent explosion wouldn't have hurt him.
However, he had absorbed the power of a nuclear reactor right before getting assaulted by four people for nearly half an hour. The baptism of the explosion finally tipped him over the limit of his body.
It was the straw that broke the camel's back.
Cracks began appearing on his skin, revealing the red energy that slowly flowed underneath. He raised his hands, looking at the breaking palms. He knew that he couldn't survive this time.
Shaw silently decided to gather all his energy for one last time.
Yes, knowing that he could not survive, he was ready to self-destruct. He could not kill Li Yue and the Professor's mutant team, but at the very least, he could eradicate the humans in the warships.
...
Li Yue and others were watching the situation here from a distance. The explosions slowly dispersed to reveal the still-standing Sebastian Shaw.
"I wonder if it worked!" Li Yue said.
The Professor used his sixth sense on Shaw.
"Not good. Shaw wants to release all his energy at once. With the energy that he had gathered, everything within nearly a kilometer radius would be vaporized," the Professor said anxiously.
If Shaw really exploded, the warships on the sea would not be able to escape.
"Li Yue, do you have a way to save those humans?" The Professor helplessly turned to Li Yue, the only one that might have any way at all.
"Sorry, Professor, I can't. Even if there's a way, I won't save them. The moment they launched those missiles at us, they became my enemies. I can save bystanders, but I will never save my enemies," Li Yue replied, resolute.
Li Yue's image changed with his words.
The Professor stared at him with disbelief. Charles' kind heart can't comprehend such a ruthless declaration.
However, Magneto's eyes were filled with approval. He even had a thought to attack those humans himself, had Li Yue saved them.
Li Yue silently observed the approval and suspicion in everyone's eyes. He was never a person of this world, and he did not know when he would suddenly leave this world. So no matter how these people looked at him, Li Yue wouldn't change his decision.
"Let's go. It won't be safe here. Of course, I wouldn't stop any of you from staying," Li Yue said in a deep voice, extending his hand.
Magneto took Li Yue's hand, followed by Mystique, Angel...
"Professor, aren't you coming with us?"
As expected, the Professor was still a little hesitant. He looked at Li Yue, hoping that the teleporter would have a change of heart. He knew that Li Yue must have a way; why would he say what he said otherwise?
The Professor finally sighed and took their hand when he saw Li Yue's firm expression.
They all disappeared without a sound.
A few seconds later.
Boom!!!
A massive shockwave and mushroom cloud wiped the island from the map.
...
A soldier asked as he looked at the incoming energy.
"Sir, do you regret it?"
"I don't regret following the order. It's just that... I don't have the chance to apologize to him!"