*Ding Ding—*
The three silver bells that had fallen from Caesar's neck emitted a clear, melodious sound as they hung in the air, not yet reaching the ground.
Sean, still unleashing the suppressive *Negasonic* blast, Hank and Darwin, who were using brute strength to restrain Caesar, and Alex and Raven a few meters away— all five mutant students had their eyes fixed solely on the silver bells slowly descending to the ground.
Disregarding the overpowering force of the *Negasonic* blast, they moved in unison toward Caesar, their hands reaching out in an encircling motion to grab the bells.
Just as they were about to succeed, Caesar's eyes grew serious. In an instant, his previously relaxed and casual demeanor vanished, replaced by an indescribable aura of overwhelming power. This aura seemed to solidify the very air around him, expanding inch by inch from his towering frame, halting everything in its path.
Without saying a word, Caesar clenched his left fist and threw a punch, causing the air to explode in layers.
The five students, now mere inches from Caesar, felt their hair stand on end. Their movements stopped abruptly as if their bodies had plunged into an ice-cold abyss. All they could see was Caesar's fist— looming in their vision like a giant that could eclipse an entire fortress.
Charles and the others, who had just stepped out of the residential building, sensed something overwhelming and froze in place. Their faces turned pale as they looked toward the scene of the battle.
"That's Master? It has to be… no one else could do this," Azazel muttered, too afraid to take another step forward, as though the area ahead was a death zone.
"Unbelievable."
Logan, gripping his cigar tightly, knocked off some ash, his face showing astonishment. "Even from fifty meters away, I can feel the immense threat from over there. It's making my body tremble uncontrollably. I've never seen a Mutant like this, not in World War I or World War II."
If there were such individuals back then, the world map today might be completely different.
Charles didn't know what to say, sighing in awe. "This is… Caesar when he's serious."
In the base's courtyard.
With a light *clink*, the bells fell onto the grass, landing right in front of Caesar. But no one was able to pick them up. All five students lay around Caesar, their bodies trembling uncontrollably as they stared blankly at the sky.
The thick clouds that had previously covered the night sky had parted completely, leaving behind a massive imprint of a fist, through which the cold, white moonlight now gently poured.
Perhaps, somewhere in this world, there really was a "god." And that god stood before them, harmless in appearance but undeniably powerful.
The five students could only harbor this thought of reverence in their hearts, while fear burrowed deep into their bones. They knew they would never forget the scene from tonight, as it had imprinted itself permanently in their minds.
That punch was the very embodiment of invincibility.
"My apologies," Caesar said, his serious expression dissolving back into his usual carefree demeanor. He bent down to pick up the bells and scratched his head in mild frustration. "I accidentally got too serious. Do you still want to continue?"
Continue? How could they possibly go on?
The five students were speechless. Tonight had been their closest attempt at victory, yet even their well-thought-out plan had failed...
"Don't be so down. I can hold back even more next time," Caesar chuckled. But then, as he looked down at his left hand, his smile froze. "Huh? Why are there only two? Where's the third?"
In his hand, there were only two bells— the third had vanished.
"Hmm?"
The five Mutants exchanged puzzled glances. None of them had managed to grab it, leaving them equally baffled.
"Were there others involved in the fight? I let my guard down again."
Caesar finally realized what had happened and turned around to look behind him. At the edge of the courtyard, several dozen meters away, Erik stood there with his hands outstretched.
*Clink, Clink—*
Several drops of silver metal floated towards Erik, gathering in his palm. The liquid quickly merged and reformed into the shape of a bell.
"I got it."
Erik firmly grasped the restored bell, then looked toward Caesar and said sincerely, "Thank you."
"I didn't really help you. You expanded your control over magnetic fields on your own," Caesar shrugged, glancing at the five students lying on the ground. Seeing the anticipation in their eyes, he announced, "Alright, I'll consider it a pass. Training is over— you've graduated."
Upon hearing Caesar's words, the five students exhaled in relief and they collapsed onto the ground feeling exhausted.
Erik, too, allowed himself a rare smile of relief. He glanced to the side at Charles and the others approaching. "Since the training is over, Charles, can we head out to find Shaw's group now?"
"I already located their position yesterday." Charles pulled out a map from his pocket. "Rest well tonight. We'll depart at noon tomorrow. It's time for a full-scale counterattack."
The next day at noon.
Charles, Erik, Moira, and the five mutant students boarded a futuristic fighter jet, heading toward the location of the Hellfire Club and their group.
Caesar, Azazel, and Logan stayed behind at the base. They were either tired of fighting or had no desire to get involved in the war between Mutants.
"Master, shouldn't we go and at least check on them?" Azazel asked Caesar, who was lounging on a sun chair on the lawn, watching the fighter jet disappear into the clouds.
"There's no need. We've taught them everything we can. The rest of the battle is theirs to face. With their current strength, defeating the Hellfire Club should be no problem."
Caesar saw things clearly. While Charles might not have trained in combat techniques, his mind control ability was nearly invincible.
Unless his opponents had mental defenses, they were almost powerless against him. Not to mention, Magneto was on the verge of awakening fully, and they had five capable Mutants on their side.
After a pause, Caesar added, somewhat cryptically, "Though, there may still be some conflict among them. After all, the future of Mutants is still a long road ahead."
Azazel nodded, half understanding his words.
Three days later.
In the outside world, the battle between the Hellfire Club and the Mutant squad caused a massive uproar, marking the first time Mutants appeared on the world stage.
Caesar, Azazel, and Logan, however, lived peacefully at the base. They settled into the residence, occasionally heading out to clubs to drink and relax, thoroughly enjoying themselves.
It wasn't until the fourth morning after the fight that the Mutant squad finally returned to the base. But while eight had set out, only five returned.
Sean, Alex, and Hank walked at the front, looking downcast and bandaged, bearing clear signs of injury. Behind them, Charles sat in a wheelchair, pushed by Moira as they entered the courtyard.
"Welcome back," Caesar said, stepping out of the house, with Azazel and Logan standing by his side.
Charles responded with a tone of sorrow, "Yes. We're back. But some… will never return."
So, they had parted ways after all.
Caesar reflected silently. Charles and Erik had always held different views on the future of Mutants. In the end, they were bound to walk separate paths. Those who hadn't returned likely either perished or chose to follow Magneto.
"The war is over, then?" Logan asked.
"It's over, this war is. But there will be many more in the future," Charles said, lifting his gaze to the clear sky. "I want to establish a special private school, one that will gather Mutant children from all over the world, training them to find and forge a future for Mutants."
Azazel chuckled, "Then your school will need a few excellent teachers."
"Are you… planning to stay?" Charles asked in surprise, looking up at the three of them.
Caesar turned his head, also gazing at the sky. "I didn't say that. But I can't go home yet, so I might as well stay at your school for now."
It must be a special fate that brought him to this time and place, allowing him to meet this strange group of people. Since he hadn't found a way to return yet, it meant his journey here wasn't over.
However—
One day, one day, he would return to the Marvel world.
(End of chapter)
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